Final Fantasy The ED Connection
by damaddok
Summary: Final Fantasy, finally a possible connection between all the Final Fantasy games, only with the Eds, being one of the connections. Starting with FFX, the FFVII, and will take votes on what next from there.
1. Chapter 1

I've decided to make another EEnE fanfic, this time, one on the Final Fantasy series. And not just and fic, this one has a fan's explanation to why there are so many connections between most if not all the games (chocobos, moogles, etc.) Note that I won't have them go through in numerical order, just the ones I know enough of. I know I should finish the SpiritED away one first, but to be honest, I hit writer's block. I don't know diddely as to what should happen next. If anyone has suggestions, let me know along in the reviews. Danke.

Final Fantasy: The ED Connection

New Game…(veet whirr)

Prolougue: Beginning of the ED

A blonde man was sitting near a campfire. Around him, were his friends, the enigmatic Auron, the silent Ronso Kimhari, the humorous Wakka, and many others. The most distinctive being the young and beautiful summoner Yuna, and the 3 young but surprisingly strong Ed-boys. Yuna was fast asleep, drained from all the traveling and fighting while the Ed's resigned themselves to various, random spots. Suddenly, the young blonde man stands up and walks to a cliff. _Listen to my story. Actually, it's not just mine, it belongs to us all. It doesn't even begin in this world..._

Chapter 1: Say good bye to the Cul-ED-Sac

"Eddy! Eddy! Eddy wake up!" yelled the 12 year old boy known as Edd, or Double-D. Despite the fact that it was 2:45, Edd was fully awake and clothed in his usual red shirt with blue shorts, and his sock-like hat, and apparently, deeply distressed. The door slid open to reveal a very drowsy, and very ticked off Eddy. "This had better be important Sock-head. If I can't get my beauty rest, then I won't be able to think of scams, and if that happens, we won't make any moolah, and if that happens, well at least I know who to look for."

"Eddy get dressed and follow me."

"Is Ed eating all the food again?"

"No."

"Then good night."

"Eddy this is a serious emergency! Now get dressed now mister!"

"Okay fine, (does he ever sleep?)"

(In Zanarkand)

People gather by a houseboat, waiting for someone to come out. The man who spoke earlier steps off much to their delight. He runs to the crowd, and starts to speak with them. "I love you TIDUS!!!"

"TIDUS ROCKS!"

Then three kids arrived, and all said at the same time, "Teach us how to blitz!"

"Hey, I got a game to play!"

"Then teach us after!"

"Maybe tonight...um...well..."

"You can't tonight.", said a mysterious boy. Tidus was confused, but just went with it.

"I mean...tomorrow. Promise.", then all three children made the blitzball salute for victory, which was bringing the hands back, and then moving them together in the form of a ball.

Tidus began running down the road towards the stadium, He saw a large banner of a man in a red headband and crossed arms on the side of a building. Tidus harrumphed and ran down the street. Tidus managed to maneuver his way through the suffocating crowd of rabid fan girls, into the stadium, and takes position above the blitz-sphere. The roof of the stadium retracts and the game starts up. The crowd starts cheering as the game already is turning brutal. Somewhere in the city, a man in a red garb raises a toast to a gigantic creature coming out of the water. Tidus finds the ball and gets ready to score a goal, but notices the creature coming out of the water, which shoots missiles randomly into the city and the city of Zanarkand is near demolished.

(Peach Creek)

"How long has he been in your back yard lumpy?" inquired Eddy

"I have no idea what's happening Eddy." replied the chinless, monobrowed, brainless oaf Ed. Ed was wearing his regular red and white striped shirt with his hand-me-down green jacket, along with jeans and black shoes.

They were referring to the cloaked boy, sitting in the middle of the lawn. Edd had briefed Eddy, that the boy suddenly appeared, and said he had to speak to the 'children whose root name was Ed.' Eddy stomped up to the child followed by an excited/confused Ed, and timid Edd. "Alright small, creepy, and annoying, what's with you dragging me away from the best dream I have ever had (I won't go into detail)?"

"You are required to save a world, and worlds beyond those.

(Zanarkand)

"Aaron!" yelled Tidus, trying to scramble out of the wreckage.

The city was in total turmoil from the attack. People were practically scrambling over each other, looking for shelter. Above them, rained enormous spikes and countless scales that unfurled into ugly looking monsters. One pounced and was only a few centimeters away before getting sliced in half by Auron.

"Auron what are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you." Said the red-garbed man. "Here, a gift from your dad." He said as he handed him a sword. It was surprisingly light in Tidus' hand. He then started running down the highway. Tidus follows him to a highway and, for a moment, he spots the strange kid from before who 'stops time'. "It begins." He said "don't cry now." The child disappeared as timed resumed. "Hey wait, what's going on?" Auron appeared and grabbed Tidus, pulling him down the street towards the monster in the water. "We called it 'Sin'" said Auron, referring to the huge beast that was emerging from the water. Then the water shrouded it in a sphere, turning Sin into what looked like an enormous blitz-sphere. The tentacles and scaled begin embedding themselves around Auron and Tidus. "Fight only the ones that matter. Keep moving!" slicing through legions of monsters. Tidus follows, taking swipes at anymonter that strayed to close. They passed the banner of Jecht, now flickering from all the destruction. "What are you laughing at, old man?" he sneered.

"We're expected."

"What?!"

Auron then sliced at a oil tanker, which sent a huge canister crashing into the monsters in front of them. "Go!" yelled Auron, and the two ran along the collapsing highway. Auron makes it to the other side; Tidus hangs on the ledge, just barely. The large creature in the water hovers overhead, sucking in debris and pieces of the highway, which levitates up towards it.

"Auron, Auron!" called out Tidus.

Auron looked towards the monster "You sure?" he said. He then picked up Tidus by his collar and held him level with himself.

(Peach Creek)

"How does any of that involve us?!" yelled a dumbfounded Edd. It wasn't every day that someone told you that you and your friends are fated to save the world. "I mean wouldn't Kevin or Rolf make more suitable candidates then us?!"

"Not quite, they all lack 2 things: their bonds of friendship aren't that strong unlike all of yours, and most of them are pretty darn stupid, no real brains in their group."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, even if all this is true, then what's in it for us?"

"Well other than the fame, you'll have to see for yourself."

_Fame means $$$ _(Eddy has a very one track mind regardless of the situation) Eddy and Ed were convinced, Edd however was still reluctant. "Too bad." came a voice and a portal opened right above them. Then it grew and began sucking the Eds in. Double-D grabbed onto Eddy who in turn, grabbed Ed, who latched his jaws into the ground. Even then the portal continued to suck them in.

(Zanarkand)

"This is it. This is your story. It all begins here." said Auron as he was sucked into the portal in a blinding flash of light...

(Peach Creek)

"This is it. This is your story. It all begins here." said the boy and the three boys were sucked into the portal in a blinding flash of light. The last thing the Eds heard was Sarah "ED SHUT UP BEFORE I SHUT YOU UP FOR GOOD!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Man, I totally forgot I made this story. So, here's 2 chapters.**

Chapter 2: When EDS Collide

"Is it real?"

"Yes Eddy, he is just unconscious is all."

"Wakey wakey mister guy." Heard Tidus before receiving a series of painful slaps to the face. Forcing his eyes open, he saw 3 boys that were much younger than him. "Okay I'm awake now. Where am I? Also, who are you?" asked Tidus

"Oh, uh well I'm Edd, but I'm usually called Double-D to differentiate me between Ed over there"

"Private Property No Trespassing is ready for duty sir."

"And I'm the leader, Eddy."

"Yes, and to answer your next question, we don't know ourselves. We had fallen out of this portal and only recently recovered. Then you came down on Eddy".

At that point, Tidus looked at his new surroundings and noticed that it struck an odd resemblance to his home, except that it was in total ruin and flooded. "By the way, my name is Tidus."

"Very well then Tidus. Where do you think we should go now?"

"Where else? To that tower over there. I hope you're all good swimmers ?"

"Oh dear, rigorous physical activity." _Guess not._

The group jumped into the murky waters and began swimming as fast as they could. Tidus was exceptionally fast, being a blitzball player. Ed matched with Tidus' speed with minimal effort. "That's pretty good Ed, have you ever considered blitzball?"

"Kick my feet, Kick my feet, Kick my feet."

"...Yeah...you think about that okay...big guy?"

"Our lasers are at the ready captain." replied Ed.

"Agony. Agony. Agony."

"Jeez. Aren't you a star athlete. Whiny little-

**Bloop**

"Eddy? EDDY! TIDUS,

COME QUICK! SOMETHING IS ABSCONDING WITH EDDY!"

Tidus then dived under, coming back with a visibly shaken Eddy. "No talking! Just move it! Follow me!"

Hearing the urgency in Tidus' voice, the two other Eds began swimming harder than ever before, which wasn't much for Edd. Then Ed, seeing his friend in peril, grabbed him by the shirt. "Activating jump-pack!" And Ed then sped through the water like a jet ski, pulling on Tidus, diving, and literally jumping through a hole just in time to see a whale of a fish trying to follow but instead getting caught in a narrow passage where Ed had been only a few seconds ago. "Thanks there Ed." said Tidus, relieved that he got out mostly unscathed. "Hey Ed,"said Double-D. "It think Eddy's catatonic from being scarred for life again"

Edd was probably right. Eddy was curled into a fetal position saying "Belly of the Beast...never again." Over and over again. Ed walked up to Eddy and started slapping him silly saying "Eddy. Stop being whatever it was Double-D said you were being."

**Slap**

"Ow!"

**Slap**

"Ow, I'm better now Ed!"

**Slap**

"Ow."

"Okay Ed, that's enough."

That was when they all noticed they were inside the tower they were swimming for. Not wanting to go in the water again, they tried the main doors, but found that they were jammed shut from the outside. "C-c-c-c-c-c-c-old-d-d-d, need warmth." shivered Edd.

"Then why don't we look for some fire wood, and try to figure out what to do from there." suggested Tidus. And they did so, wandering about the ruined tower in searching for kindling, and anything else that could feed the flames once they started. When they did so, they also seemed to find a few items that might be useful later. Once the fire was started, the Eds, and Tidus got a little more in depth as to where they came from. Tidus was talking about his life in Zanarkand, about his father Jecht, who he hated with a vengeance, and so on. The Eds, talked about…Ed things. Then, Ed sensed something strange. Something big. "Is something the matter Ed?" asked Edd innocently.

"Shush. The fish have chips my friends, beware lest you provoke the denizens of the soup."

"Ed, STOP BEING DUMBER THAN USUAL!"

Then there was a deep growling. "The gravy curdles!" which probably meant 'get out of the way you fools' as he charged into, and bowled everyone away from the fire, and just in time a giant, wolf-like beast jumped down from a ledge. Tidus pulled out his sword and got ready to engage the creature. Then suddenly, there was an explosion and the 2 main doors flew off their hinges and two men armed with funny looking rifles marched in, followed by girl. She had blonde hair tied back in a knot and was wearing a red jumpsuit of some sort. She looked younger than Tidus but older than the Eds. Though she didn't say anything, she walked right up to Tidus and faced the monster in a fighting position. She then hurled what looked like an egg at the monster, which then exploded, shaking the beast up a bit. "Well, at least it seems like she's on our side." remarked Edd. "EAT GRAVEL-Y DOOM WARP SPAWN!" yelled Ed as he lobbed rock after rock at the monster. While it was distracted, Tidus leapt towards the monster and lopped its head off. The creature dissapated into colored smoke and globes of light.

"Phew. Thanks guys, I really owe you-hey whoa!" One of the men grabbed Tidus and held a knife to his throat while the other aimed it's gun at the Eds. "Fryd ec drec?" "What is this?" yelled one of them. "Fiends! Eh risyh teckieca!" "Fiends! In human disguise!"

"Oac! Ed ec cu!" "Yes! It is so!"

"Fa gemm dras?" "We kill them?"

"Fyed! Fryd ev drac yna risyh?" "Wait! What if they are human?" asked the girl

"Drao yna dra cysa eh taydr." "They are the same in death."

"E vunpet ed! Fa pnehk dras fedr ic." "I forbid it! We bring them with us."

She walked up to Tidus and punched him in the stomach. "Cunno." "Sorry." she said.

"Fryd uv dra udranc?" What of the others? asked one of the men.

"Yna drao ynsat?" "Are they armed?"

"Hu, pi-" No, bu-"

"Drah pnehk dras fedir ic huw!" "Then bring them with us now!"

"I haven't the slightest clue as to what goes on here fellows." said Edd

"Neither do I Double-D." replied Eddy

"Welcome to my world guys." finished Ed.

The soldiers then started prodding at the Eds and motioned them to follow the girl. They all filed out of the tower, the last one carrying Tidus over his shoulder.

(Later. On a ship not too far from the old tower)

**Slap.**

"Ow!"

"Wakey wakey mister Person-I-Forget-Your-Name and Eddy."

**Slap**

**"**Ow!"

**Slap**

"Ow. Ed we're awake!"

"Yeah you can stop now lumpy!"

...**Slap**

"Ow, that's getting old."

Finally, Ed's hands caught up "Okey dokey arterychokie!" and he let go of Tidus and Eddy. Unfotunately, that sent Eddy to the floor head-first. "Hurk! I'm going to the mommy place for a while Double-D."

"Where are we guys?" asked Tidus, rubbing his gut. "Ced, lybdeja!" "Sit, captive!"

Yelled the guard watching them, as he bashed his rifle in Tidus' face.

"Hey, that hurts!"

"Hu sujehk, rayn?" "No moving, hear?"

"Saboob a wha?"

"Oooo! Lemme try guys (ahem) E ryja yhdmahc eh so yhsbed" "I have antlers in my armpit"

..."Fryd yra &#?!" "What the ¢!$?!"

The door flew open to reveal the girl and one of the men from before. "Caynir res!" "Search him!" he yelled.

"Right. Whatever."

"Tu oui hud cbayg?" "Do you not speak?"

"I said I don't understand!"

"Ehcumahla!" "Insolence!"

"Fyed!" "Stop!", shouted the girl. She turned to their guests. "He said you can stay if you make yourself useful."

"You... You understand us? All right, we'll work!" said Edd.

"What?! Why should we?!" exclaimed Eddy.

"It's that or we're fish food!" hissed Edd

"We found some ancient ruins right beneath us. It's not active now, but there should still be some power left. We're gonna go down there and activate it...and then we should be able to salvage the big prize! Okay! Let's get to work!"

"Yay!" yelled Ed

"Roger!" said Tidus.

"Wait, what if we encounter that fish again. We'll need something to defend ourselves." said Edd, Eddy nodding in agreement. "Oh yeah. Only that cute guy has a weapon. Well follow me, let's suit you up."

While Tidus was left with the two men, the girl led the Eds to the ship's make-shift armoury. "Alright, starting with you," pointing to Ed. "You're the kind of person that would tear someone apart with your So, this might be best for you." She handed him what looked like an extra-bulky glove. Ed noticed a small button on the side, and when he pressed it, claws sprang out of the front. "Cool guys. I'll be just like Bobcat-man from 'Genetic Mutant People '" said Ed, barely able to contain his excitement.

"For the meek-looking one, I'd say you are more designed for ranged combat. So you can use this." she handed him what looked like a smaller version of the rifles the guards carried "Trainees practice with that before using our more standard issue weapons. Also, it is the most modifiable. And as for you, " she was pointing to Eddy, "you're probably best suited with theiving and fast attacks. So you can use this." she gave him 2 daggers that fitted onto his hands like a pair of brass knuckles, except...not. "Also, we're going to be in the water for a while, so you'll probably want these." she handed them little re-breathers that attached to the nostrils and back of the mouth.

Once the Eds were fully geared, they all jumped over the side of the boat. Edd was surprised how the little re-breathers allowed him to breath and talk under water. The group of four dived into the water with the girl, and they followed the anchor

line down to the ruins. There, they located a power source inside and turned it on. "Hope this thing is worth it, or there'll be heck to pay."

As they headed back, they saw something block the way. It turned out to be a big, angry octopus.

"Sushi anybody?" asked Eddy, hacking away at the tentacles. Tidus and Ed joined in, attacking any limbs thay got too close. The octopus started moving away. It looked like it was trying to cut them off, so the team split into two teams and surrounded it. The octopus seemed to know what was going on, and charged towards Edd, who was trying to figure out his weapon. "Oh dear. Here goes nothing..." he shut his eyes and pulled the trigger. A loud explosion, and tremendous recoil later, Edd opened his eyes to see himself surrounded by dancing lights and colorful gases. _What happened? _The girl swam up to him. "Wow, that was great. Next time though don't put in so much firing solution. Outside, lights from the structure start to function, showing what appears to be a sunken air-ship. Their job done, they swam back up to the ship. "Fa vuiht dra airship!" "We found the airship!"

"Dra naluntc fana nekrd." "The records were right."

"Huf, ruf du tnyk ed ib?" "Now, how to drag it up?"

When the Eds got back on board, they probably expected a warm welcome. They we're wrong. "Oui, uidceta!" "You, inside!"

"Hey, we helped out, doesn't that register?!" exclaimed Eddy.

The door slams shut. A long time passed, and everyone was bored. Tidus leaned on the wall, Eddy was bang on some crates in frustration, while Edd was trying to figure a way out. Ed seemed to be enjoying himself with a game he probably called 'Sit on your head and move around with your eyebrow'. Just then, the girl appeared bearing food. "Finally I-wait," began Edd. "you didn't drug this stuff did you? ED!"

Ed was aleady scarfing food down his throat. Tidus joined in and so did Eddy. Edd simply sighed and started nibbling on what looked like bread. "Well thank you any way. You know, we never were able to ascertain you're name."

"Oh. It's Rikku."

"Whoa! You really do understand! Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I didn't get a chance to! Everyone thought oui were a fiend."

"Wait...you thought you we're what now?"

"No, no, 'oui' means 'you.' And fiends, you know, like those monsters?"

"Who are you guys, anyway?" inquired Eddy.

"We're Al Bhed. Can't you tell? Wait. You're not an Al Bhed-hater, are you?"

"We don't even know what an Al Bhed is."

"And I don't know nothing."

"Where are you from?"

"Well I'm from Zanarkand. I'm a blitzball player. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" Rikku had a confused look. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Um, you guys hit me."

"Oh, right... Do you remember anything before that?"

Tidus sqent the next half hour telling Rikku all about Zanarkand, the city itself, and Sin. This was also a bit new to the Eds as well. Especially the Sin part. Rikku look a bit skeptical about the story. "Did I say something funny?" asked Tidus.

"You were near Sin. Don't worry, you'll be better in no time. They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?"

"You mean I'm sick?"

"Because of Sin's toxin, yeah. If your friends are the same, then you all must have been exposed to it."

Eddy was about to speak his mind when Edd clamped a hand over his mouth. "Eddy, our true origins best remain a secret for now. Just go with that story for now."

Eddy nodded and kept quiet. Luckiky Rikku didn't witness the scene since she was too busy watching Tidus digest all this new information. "You sure?"

"Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore. Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So...no one plays blitzball there."

"What do you mean, a thousand years ago? But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!" Tidus looked crestfallen. Rikku desperately tried to think of a way to brighten the mood. Then she figured something out.

"You said... You play blitzball? You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognize."

"Luca?"

"Okay, leave it to me! I'll get you to Luca, promise! You'd rather stay here? Okay. I'll go tell the others. Wait here. Oh, and one thing. Don't tell anyone you're from Zanarkand, okay? Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone."

"Well she's quite the authoritative person don't you think Tidus?" Tidus however was lost in thought.

_My Zanarkand, some kind of holy place? Yeah right, Since when? Yevon? Sin? Luca? I thought Sin had just taken me to some faraway place, that I could go back in a day or two. But a thousand years into the future? No way!_

There was a rumble and the 4 stumbled out of their room, and nearly fell over the railing. Below them, was the figure of a huge monster.

"The monster fish has come for me!" screamed Eddy. "I can't help it if I taste good."

"Sin!", yelled someone

If there was anything else, they didn't here it, as Sin bumped the boat again, causing Tidus and the Eds to fall into a swirling whirlpool. Then darkness overtook them.


	3. Chapter 3

Edd woke to the sound of water. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that he and his friends were in the middle of an ocean. The next thing he noticed was that the water was different from the old ruins. It was clearer, and shallower. Then he remembered: his friends we're still unconscious. Then he noticed that most of them we're snoring. How they slept in the water was beyond him. "I do loathe having to do this but..." he pulled his rifle out, from where is none of your business, loaded it, and fired upwards into the sky. There was a deafening bang as the other three suddenly woke with a start. "Rikku!" "Money!" "Reporting in General Storage!"

Fellows, it seems as though that Sin creature moved us somewhere new. We had best figure out where we are before we-OOF!

A blitzball flew out of nowhere and hit Edd square in the face.

"Blitzball!" gasped Tidus.

"Hey! You okay?"

Everyone turned to the source of the voice and saw a tanned man wearing yellow baggy pants with straps, along with sandals, and a blue bandanna around his head, which had orange hair done in the strangest looking fashion.

"Heeey!", Tidus called out. Ed did an intricate move with the ball and sent it towards Tidus, who performed one of his own special tricks, sending the ball back to shore and beyond. "Whoa-ho!" said the man, as he chuckled. Everyone started running towards shore which wasn't that easy with the current going against them. "Yo! Hiya!" Tidus called out.

"You wanna try that move one more time?" the man asked with a heavy Hawaiian accent.

Finally, things were starting to look up for Tidus, but the Eds still had no clue as to what was going on. All they do know is that a blitzball is painful. "You're not amateurs. Who you guys play for?" asked the man.

"The Zanarkand Abes!"

"What team you say again?"

Edd then stepped up. "Never mind that. You see, we had a close shave with Sin."

Eddy joined in the ruse "Uh.. Er...yeah, so our brains are really messed up. We don't remember squat. Except for our names"

And I don't even remember that." remarked Ed.

The man's face changed from confusion to apprehension. "Sin's toxin got to you. But, you're still alive. Praise be to Yevon!"

He I'd as he did some strange looking prayer. "But at least you're alive. Not a lot of folks can say that ya?" The rest of the men returned to practice.

"I'm Wakka, coach and captain of the Besaid Aurochs, brudda." the man said.

"Greetings Wakka. This here is Eddy" he pointed to Eddy to see if his knives were damaged any. "I'm Edd, but usually called Double-D, so as not to confuse me with my friend Ed." he motioned to Ed who was digging in the sand. He came back out with what looked like a coconut. "Milk please." as he smashed it against his head.

The guy looks like he's a few players short of a full team."

"Yes, well, he may not have the keenest intellect, but his heart is in the right place."

"Can we finish this? I'm still hungry you know."

"Calm down Eddy!"

"What? You hungry? Okay! Back to the village. I'll get you somethin'!"

"Oh, so there's a village nearby is there?"

"Hey Wakka" began Tidus, "It's true Zanarkand was destroyed, right? A thousand years ago? So it's just a big pile of rubble now, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Long time ago, there were a whole lot of cities in Spira. Big cities with machina--machines--to run 'em. People played all day and let the machina do the work. And then, well, take a look. Sin came, and destroyed the machina cities. And Zanarkand

along with 'em. Yeah, that was about a thousand years ago, just like you said. If you ask me, Sin's our punishment for letting things get out of hand. What gets me, though...is we gotta suffer, 'cause of what some goofballs did way back when! 'Course, we must always repent for our sins! That's important! It's just that, it's hard to keep at it sometimes, you know?"

_Well that's strange. If Wakka says the same thing that must mean Zanarkand really is gone. If that's true, then how did Tidus get here? Ugh. Why were we chosen? _If Edd was thinking about anything else, it was interrupted by Wakka's yelling "Hey! It's this way!"

Wakka had a head start and everyone had a hard time following him. When they rounded a corner along a cliff, they saw that he was gone. Wakka didn't even make a sound when he dropped down and grabbed Tidus and Ed in headlocks. "What's the big idea?"

"Got a favor to ask ya."

"You want us on your team, right?"

"A major blitz tournaments coming up. All the teams in Spira'll be there! It's so huge, I'm sure someone there will recognize you! Then you can go back to your old team, right? What do you say, huh? Come on, come on!"

"Okay, we'll join your team."

"Dude! Our team is gonna rock, eh?"

"Uh yeah..."

They continued along the path. Wakka didn't really like the silence, so he tried to spark a conversation with one of the new guys. "This is where I was born. I started blitz when I was five. I joined the Aurochs at thirteen...ten years ago. Ten years... and we never won a game. Well, after last year's tournament, I quit. Time seemed right. So, after quitting, I got this new job, ya? But every time my mind wandered, I thought about the game."

"Well one never likes to leave a task undone.

"Got that right little guy. My first match last year was my big chance. But something

else was on my mind. I couldn't focus."

"Nice excuse." Chortled Eddy

"Hey, hey!"

"So you want to win the next tournament -- go out with a bang. So, what's our goal?"

"I don't care how we do. Long as we play our best. If we give it our all, I can walk away happy."

"No, no, no, no, no. If I say, 'What's our goal?' you say, 'Victory!' When you play in a blitzball tournament, you play to win!"

"Victory? You serious?"

"Wakka my friend, We're always serious."

About this time, the group spies two men running up to them. A Red haired man and a shorter man, both in funky, mixed armor. The red haired one spoke up. "So you're the visitors the big fuss is about. Be careful, there's fiends on the road today. It would be a shame for something bad to happen to you guys, what with your little Sin encounter and all." With that, they both ran off again. Edd was a tad puzzled.

"Uh, when they say fiends, what did they-"

"Oh the toxin got to you little folks real bad. Fiends are monsters here in Spira. They're all over the place, made from the souls of the vengeful, unsent dead."

"Dead!? I'm starting to feel very uncomfortable."

"Uh, so why did they come all the down here to warn us?"

"That's the job of the Crusaders, to patrol area for fiends and protect the innocent, and uh, I forgot the rest of their creed, but it's something along those lines. Those two would be Luzzu and Gatta. If you really forgot the Crusaders, you can just ask them. They got a lodge a ways up in the village."

By the time Wakka finished talking everyone looked ahead to see that they arrived. "Besaid Village.", said Wakka.

"They got any food there? I'm still starving, and Ed looks about ready to gnaw at his own leg."

"We'll get you something over there later. Take a look around first. Let's see... The Crusaders lodge is over yonder. Luzzu and Gatta are usually there- oh, right. Over here!" Wakka pulled them to a small area that had a small shrine. "Tell me you at least remember the prayer right?"

"No chance of that buckaroo." Said Ed.

"I have to agree with Ed here. I don't know about these prayers at all" admitted Tidus.

Man, that's like the basics of the basics. Alright, I'll show you." Wakka performed the prayer. Tidus seemed to recognize it, Edd noticed as he tried it himself to please Wakka.

"Hey, not bad. Okay, now go present yourself to the temple summoner." With that, Wakka ran off to the temple. "Something wrong Tidus?"

"Every blitzball player in my time knows that prayer. That was the blitzball sign for victory."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Nobody expects the ED Inquisition

Tidus and co. had entered the temple to see numerous people praying at various statues. "They have a polytheistic religion. Amazing, I've seldom seen any kind that has this many gods." Edd mused

"Yeah Double-D. Even when were thrown a bazillion miles and years away from home, you have to turn it into a study. What do you think of all this Ed? Ed?"

Ed was with Tidus. They had both walked over to a large statue of a man in very intricate robes. A priest had noticed the newcomers and walked over to Tidus. "Ten years have passed since Lord Braska became high summoner." He said. "And finally we receive a statue for our temple."

"What's a high summoner?" asked Tidus

This bought a surge of gasps and murmurs from everyone around them. Edd stepped forward, "you will have to forgive us. We had come too close to Sin and his toxin uh… destroyed many of our memories."

This seemed to have the effect Edd wanted as looks of shock and anger changed to relief and apprehension. Eddy walked over to Tidus and Edd. "Man, how may times are we gonna use that excuse?"

"A little funny though." Said Edd, "I'm starting to believe it."

"Funny, and a little sad." Finished Tidus.

The priest walked over to Tidus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are indeed blessed by Yevon to survive. Very well, let me remind you. The summoners are practitioners of a sacred art, sworn to protect the people of Yevon. Only a chosen few become summoners, who can call forth entities of greater power: the aeons. The aeons are the blessing of Yevon."

"Thanks. You Ed's get all that?"

"I see. Their main deity is Yevon, and his 'guardians' or blessings are these aeon creatures. Fascinating."

"I was able to follow him up to the aeon part."

"Guys, I think I jammed my finger up my nose. It won't come back out."

Tidus struggled not to laugh, while the Eds sighed and tried to dislodge his finger. The monk had simply turned away to aid someone else.

"Say guys, Why don't we head to that guy Wakka's place. We should rest up."

It was at that time Eddy also realized he was still hungry. And he made a run for his house, quickly getting lost.

When they all finally arrived Wakka was sitting by a bed. "Hey, how'd you folks like the temple? Pretty good place to relax ya?"

"Food." Growled Eddy.

"Oh right. Help yourselves. And after that, you'd best take a nap. You look bushed." Wakka pointed to a table piled with various fruits and breads. Eddy dove right in, nearly chocking on several occasions. Ed joined right in, except he didn't have any choking problems with all his experience in overeating. Tidus took a piece at a time, afraid his hands might get bitten off by the two ravenous Eds. Edd had already retired to a bed and was sleeping peacefully. When they were finished eating, they had finally fallen asleep. Except for Tidus, he was only half-asleep when a monk walked over to Wakka, who was sitting by the door. "You could at least go see how they're doing." He said.

"We can't interfere. It's a rule."

"But, it's been nearly…"

By that point Tidus had fallen asleep, those last words cuing an old memory from his child hood. He's back at a houseboat, and people have gathered like usual. This time it doesn't seem like a happy occasion. "It's been nearly a day already.", said one man.

"Perhaps you could go look for us.", said a woman close by.

"People are searching for him now.

"Thank you."

The man left and the woman looked forlornly off toward the man's direction. Tidus, as a young boy, stepped out, looking grumpy. "Who cares whether he comes back or not?", he grunted

"But he might die!"

"Fine, let him!"

The woman looked shocked. "Do you... Do you hate him so?" she walked over to Tidus. She squatted to meet his eyes. "If he dies, you'll never be able to tell him how much you hate him."

Tidus woke up in a start. "Wakka?"

He was nowhere to be seen. Then he remembered him talking to that monk from the temple. He promptly set out to wake the Eds, who were quite reluctant as the only reason he gave them was that it didn't feel right. Once all of them were awake, they set off to the temple. Wakka was there, as Tidus had thought. However, he looked worried.

"Is something wrong?"

"The summoner hasn't returned from the trial."

"Eh?" asked Edd

"Well, apprentice summoner, really..."

"I meant the trial thing Wakka. What of this?" he asked, clearly very interested in more knowledge of the Yevon religion.

"Well ah…uh… let's see… There's a room in there called the Cloiser of Trials. Beyond is where the apprentice summoner prays. If the prayer is heard, the apprentice becomes a fully-fledged summoner. Any of this ringin' a bell?"

"…" Edd just stared at Wakka.

"I guess not."

"Well, how long has it been since the summoner started?" asked Tidus

"A day's already gone by."

"That's bad right?" asked Eddy

"Sometimes, yes."

"Why don't you go in and help?"

"There's already guardians in there. Besides, it's forbidden."

That tore it. Tidus ran up the steps to the Cloister. "Hey, but what if somethin' happens? What if the summoner dies!?"

"The precepts must be obeyed!" yelled the monk they had spoken with.

"Like I care!", and Tidus ran into the Cloister. The Eds ran up to follow.

"Well, since we don't know the rules. It doesn't apply to us." Said Eddy

"Ey-yi-ey-yi-oh!" chirped Ed.

"Sorry for this. But I go where they go." Said Edd

As Edd ran in, a stone door closed behind them.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Who's Up for a Crossword ED?

"Oh, great job Tidus. Had to play the hero didn't you?!" snarled Eddy

"Hey, the summoner may be in real danger!"

"You don't even know who it is!"

"And that's an excuse?!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Ed.

"Ed's right, we might as well find the summoner since we're well…stuck here."

"Fine" grunted Eddy, as he leaned against a wall, touching a glyph, and began to glow. "What they heck?"

"Find the light to continue your journey, disciples of Yevon." Said a voice

"I suppose that means find another glyph like the one Eddy stumbled on. Spread out everyone, and look for the-"

"Found it Double-D" chimed Ed, as he pushed the glyph. It began to glow, and a section of the wall disappeared for the group to go through, until Ed pressed the glyph again. Then he pressed it again, and again and again, the wall fading in and out continuously. "Glowy thing on. Glowy thing off. On. Off. On. Off.", said Ed in a very stupid way. He could have been doing that forever until Eddy conked him on the head. "Oooh, glowy thingies…flying around my head. Come back here."

The wall opened again, Eddy walked in. "It's…it's just a ball. A glowing crystal ball. A potentially profitable glowing crystal ball." He slobbered, as he snatched the sphere from its rest.

"You must use the Sphere to open a new path to enlightenment." Boomed to voice.

Edd walked over to Eddy. "I guess that means we need this sphere to open a door somewhere. So why don't you give that to me Eddy?"

"Oh no! It's mine! You're just going to steal it!"

"Hand it over this instant!"

"NO!"

Eddy began to wrestle control of the sphere from Edd, but both lost there grip against the smooth orb and it flew into the air, and landed right into a sphere-shaped socket. The wall then gave away to a small room with a pedestal, along with another sphere. "Let me guess, we have to align the sphere with the pedestal right?" pondered Tidus.

"Most likely" replied Edd.

Tidus moved over, and gave the pedestal a push, trying a variety of different places until the pedestal aligned and sank into the ground. At that same moment, Wakka came running after them. "Hey Wakka, how'd you get in here?"

"The same way you did. What's gotten into you? Hey, it's okay. Only summoners, apprentice summoners, and their guardians can enter here. Remember that will ya?!" Wakka seemed more concerned than angry near the end.

"Okay, wait what about you?" asked Eddy.

"Me? I'm a guardian."

"A guardian?", asked Tidus

"Wow, with all that Sin toxin, it's amazing you still know how to eat. Summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira. Guardians protect them. The guardians in there now...let think: one of them's got a short fuse, and who knows what the other is thinking. Wait, Why am I telling you all this? You made it this far, go ahead and see for yourself."

Wakka led the four of them into a room where the two guardians were waiting for the summoner. One was a tall brooding cat-person with dark blue fur, and a white mane, and liberally decorated with tattoos. The other was a woman in black that held a doll in one of her arms. She looked very sullen, and turned the moment she heard footsteps. At the top was a door that was closed. "What are you doing here?" the woman asked, clearly annoyed. "Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?"

"No, it's uh...it's just...ah…um...duh…er. See, I told you she gets mad easily." he elbowed Tidus. Tidus didn't seem to care, and walked over to the woman "Is the summoner all right?"

"Who are you?"

He was about to reply when the door at the top of the stair opened. A woman stepped out, stumbling. She almost fell down the stairs but the cat-person bounded over to catch her. Despite looking drained, the woman managed to smile. "I have done it. I have become a summoner!" she exclaimed gleefully.

……

Once everyone had left the temple, the Eds were about ready to turn in, when Wakka reached out, and grabbed them. "Hey Ed boys, you ever see a summoning? It's one of the best things to see ya?" With that, he dragged them by their necks to the small group congregating around the summoner. The summoner, looked absolutely giddy. "Okay.", she braced, and began the summoning process. At first, nothing, then a gigantic bird-like creature flew down from the sky, causing Eddy to yelp and jump back a foot. The bird however, remained still, and let the summoner pet its beak. "Amazing, to call such a creature at whim must have required some sort of…" droned Edd, while Ed walked up to the summoner and started getting as excited as the summoner. "Ooooooooh. Big Chicken. What's the big chicken's name?"

The summoner giggled, "Valefor."

……

Later that night, everyone was celebrating the new summoner in their village. Actually, it started after the summoner un-summoned Valefor, so the Eds were unable to get their sleep. It didn't stop them though. By nightfall, everyone had retired to one of the many bonfires going all around the village. Tidus and Ed walked over to the one that had the Aurochs around it. "Hey, let me introduce you to the team." Said Wakka. He was introducing Ed and Tidus to the rest of the group. "These guys want into the tournament so bad, I let them on the team. Their memory's a little fuzzy, so don't mind them if they says anything odd! Especially the one that smells funny. Come on, say hi." he urged them.

"Where is everybody?" asked Ed. Wakka grabbed the top of his head and twisted him around 180 degrees. "Oh hi."

"Uh... Hi, guys. So, what's our goal?", asked Tidus

"To do our best!" all the Aurochs yelled as one. Not quite what Tidus expected.

"Nope, we got a new goal now! Our new goal...is victory! To win every match, to defeat every opposing team! To bring the Crystal Cup back to our island! That's all we need to do to win! Easy, ya?" said Wakka

"Victory..." it started as confusion, but one after another, the concept caught on, and the Aurochs began chanting. "Victory! Victory! Victory!"

While they were lost in their dreams of victory, Tidus looked for Edd and Eddy, who he located at almost the opposite end of the island, trying to grasp the concept that their money was useless here. Somebody was having a fit because Ed handed a green piece of paper instead of 100 gil. He then turned to the adjacent fir the summoner was sitting at. He decided to walk over there, but was blocked by a few elders and a child.

"You heathen!"

"Stay away from the summoner!"

"You're a bad man!"

The summoner merely got up and strode past them, the old man looked at the summoner with concern. "Lady Yuna! Be careful!"

"But it was really my fault to begin with." Said Yuna

She walked over to Tidus and they introduced each other.

"Thank you so much for your help earlier."

"I'm sorry about that. Wasn't that... Wasn't I not supposed to... guess I...kind of overreacted."

"Oh, no. I was...overconfident." then silence, except for a man chasing Eddy around the village. "Where's my gil?!"

"Um, I saw that aeon thing. That's amazing!" said Tidus trying to start a conversation again." Yuna looked happy at this and blushed slightly

"Really? Do you think I can become high summoner?" Tidus nodded, and was quickly pulled away by Wakka. "Hey brudda, I think your friend over there needs some help." Eddy was still running as fast as his legs could carry him. The man he gypped was still hot on his trials, with Edd, panting heavily after both of them. He turned back to Yuna. "So, tomorrow, then." She said.

"Tomorrow?"

"We're going on the same boat, aren't we?"

"Oh, really?"

"We can talk more. You can tell me all about Zanarkand!" Yuna walked off, and Tidus was a bit confused. Wakka tapped him on the shoulder to snap him out of the trance. "She's cute, ya?"

"I don't know. Hey, but what if she, like, comes on to me?"

"That's not going to happen. If you get tired, let me know. I had a bed made for you. But first, help your friend there. Looks like Eddy's about to collapse."

**Well, there's two chapters. Anyway. I can still get work done on this and SpiritED Away, but The Cat Returns fic I'm making will have to be put on hiatus until I finish SpiritED Away. Big apologies to those expecting that any time soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Bleh, this is getting annoying. Going to school to upload these. I gotta get my comp fixed. For those of you reading my SpiritED Away, expect an update during my next upload, whenever the hell that is.**

Chapter 6: I'd rather be ED-ing

That night, Tidus and the Eds spent the night in the Crusader's Lodge. Except Ed, who was snoring so load, that by unanimous vote, they threw him out with a blanket. Tidus was dreaming he was by the pier that Wakka had found him. He was standing next to Yuna. "Where's that boat?" he said.

"Everyone will find us if it doesn't come soon." Said Yuna anxiously, looking about.

"You really sure this is okay?"

"Would you take me to Zanarkand?", asked Yuna, with a longing look.

"Hey!" yelled Rikku, who appeared out of nowhere. "You said you'd go with me! I thought Wakka told you not to get any ideas?"

"He did?", asked Yuna, bewildered.

"Yeah, so you're coming with me!"

"Ding dong, I'm a tomato!" said Ed, who popped out of the sand under a coconut tree, and then he proceeded to bang the tree, swallowing any coconuts that fell out.

"Hey! Stop dreaming!" Tidus turned to see Jecht, his father on shore not too far from Ed. "You, with a woman? You can't even catch a ball! Oh, what's the matter? Gonna cry again? Cry, cry. That's the only thing you're good for!"

"I hate you." Tidus said under his breath.

"Huh? What'd you say?"

"Speak up so he can hear you." Said Ed between bashing the tree with his head

"You have to speak louder."

"I hate you!"

"Eh?"

"Tidus? Help us catch Ed. He's sleep-eating again said a voice."

Tidus woke up with a start, finding himself looking directly into Edd's face.

"Wha?"

"yeah, when Ed goes to sleep, he has a pretty good chance of sleep walking and, well, consuming all the food within a five mile radius."

"Where's Eddy?"

"Tracking his movements, making sure any damage he inflicts if minimal. Now come on, before we have to find Eddy too.

With that, Edd ran off. Tidus sat up groggily, and was hesitant to leave the bad. Because he stayed however, he was able to hear the conversation between Wakka and the female guardian, who were walking toward the house. Tidus immediately got back into bed and pretended to be asleep.

"He's dead, okay? Dead! He does look a lot like Chappu. I was surprised, too, the first time I saw him. But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu. You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place. Or any of them for that matter."

"Yeah, but...they needed our help!"

"That's it. No more. Enough, Wakka!"

And with that, the woman stormed off.

……

"What's the situation?" Edd asked Eddy.

"Surprisingly boring. I managed to keep him satisfied with scraps from the party but he's starting to raid homes. Say, where's Tidus?"

……

"Scary! So, who's Chappu?" asked Tidus, walking over to Wakka.

"My little brother, Chappu. He looked like you."

"He's dead?"

"He was with the Crusaders when they fought Sin last year. He didn't make it. I first heard on the day of the tournament."

"Oh, so that's why. And so you then became a guardian then right? To have vengeance against Sin?"

"That was the idea. I'm more worried about a stupid game now than avenging my brother. Well, after the next tournament, I'll be a guardian full-time. I know it kinda looks like I'm using you, but I'm not."

"Don't worry. I mean, I owe you a lot. You really helped me out, you know? What I mean is...thanks, Wakka. From me and the other Eds."

"Stop, you're embarrassing me! Uh, where's the Eds?"

As if to answer his question, Ed came running by, his mouth full of food, with Eddy and Edd clinging to his feet. "ASSISTANCE PLEASE!" behind them, a group of villagers followed, will all sorts of rope and chains.

"Uh…excuse me."

……

With the help of Tidus, the villagers managed to capture Ed and tied him to his bed. There was little action after that. The next morning, the Eds, along with Tidus left to join Wakka and his co., weary-eyed, except for Ed, who was confused.

"Hey! Sleepyhead! Something I want to give you." Wakka handed Tidus a blue sword that seemed to flow like water.

"Whoa! You're giving this...to me?" gasped Tidus

"Yeah, use it well!" smiled Wakka "Sorry little bro's. I couldn't find anything for you."

"Oh that's alright, we have our own methods of defense already." Said Edd politely.

"Oh ya?" asked Wakka, one eyebrow raised.

The Eds pulled out their weapons and showed them to the group, Wakka looked disgusted when he saw Edd's rifle, but he tried to mask it quickly, not before Edd noticed and made a mental note of it. "Where's Yuna?" asked Edd, changing the subject. That seemed to brighten Wakka up a bit. As if to answer him, the came a sound of a dead weight being dragged though sand. Everyone saw Yuna walking towards them with a large box.

"You really don't need all that luggage." said the goth-looking woman.

"They're not really my things Lulu. They're gifts for the temples

we're to visit."

"This isn't a vacation, Yuna." persisted Lulu.

"Oh…okay." sighed Yuna, as she dropped the box.

"And we're off!" yelled Wakka happily, and almost bowled over by Ed. "Tally ho!"

Ed stopped abruptly in front a snarling, canine-like monster. Eddy was crouching into battle stance slowly, "Easy pooch. Don't do anything you'll regret. Don't want uncle Eddy slicing you up right?" the monster leapt straight for him. "Guess not."

Before the monster even came close to him, Tidus sprang forward and with a single slice, the monster was cut in two and disappeared into mists and balls of light before it even hit the ground. "Not bad ya?" congratulated Wakka. "You might make a good guardian one day if you keep that u-" he was cut off by a screech as to bird creatures came swooping down at them. "Stand back, flyer's are my expertise ya?" he pulled out a standard blitzball, and hurled it at one of the birds.

"Oh, what's that gonna do? Give him a bruise?" asked Eddy.

The ball hit one of the birds head one and smashed the beak back into its skull, the creature vanished and the ball rebounded back to Wakka. The other bird was coming in too fast for Wakka to react and he bought up his guard, but then there was an enourmous bang, and the bird disappeared. Wakka turned to see Edd with his rifle, the barrel smoking. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. But I don't recall reloading it. Plus with this being a blunder-bus-like weapon…" Edd's voiced trailed off as he noticed a poorly hidden glare from Wakka. "What, I-WAKKA LOOK OUT!"

A Blob-like creature vomited some kind of ooze where Wakka was standing only moments ago. This time Lulu came up and she dropped her doll. The doll came to life and danced around as an unfelt breeze surrounded Lulu. The skies darkened, and a single bolt of lightning struck the blue jelly monster. "Well, that's enough of the surprises." Sighed Edd, and the group proceeded onward. They only got a few steps when the cat-person guardian swooped down in front of everyone. He looked once at Tidus, shifted towards the Eds, shook his head, and walked away. "What's with that guy? And what was that all about?" asked Eddy.

"Kimarhi Ronso, of the Ronso tribe. He's learned the fiends' way of fighting."

"That's not what I meant!"

"He's another of Yuna's guardians."

"I knew that much! I mean what's with the zombie look?!"

"Sometimes we don't understand him either. Kimahri doesn't talk much anyway. But he has protected me since I was a child!" said Yuna.

They reached the beach, encountering only a few more fiends, and the party slew them with relative ease. They boarded the boat waiting for them, and found their own niches to rest. Yuna stood at the back, waving to all the people o watched her go. They were off to Kilika Port.

……

"So, what's the name of this little vessel?" asked Edd to one of the work crew.

"S.S. Liki." He grunted and went back to work. Seeing that there was little in conversing with anyone, Edd headed for the front of the boat. Eddy retired to below decks, and started to have first an argument, then a negotiation, then a friendly business deal with a person who claimed he was soon to be a merchant, O'aka. Tidus wandered off and ran into Wakka. "Come to think of it, I haven't told you where we're going!

First to Kilika Island, then we change boats and head for Luca. 'Fore that, though, Yuna's gotta pray at the temple. I'll be guarding. We'll be praying for the Aurochs victory, too, so you come along, ya?"

"Sounds okay to me." Said Ed, who appeared out of nowhere as usual.

"Whoa! When you get here?" pondered Wakka.

Tidus took at the chance to leave, and he walked over to Yuna, surrounded by a crowd, even at sea.

"Word is that summoner's got noble blood!" one said

"I heard she's Lord Braska's daughter!"

"Ya don't say?"

"Lord Braska's...daughter?" asked Tidus. The crowd had thinned enough when a foreman told them to stop loafing around and get back to work.

"She's the daughter of High Summoner Braska! You saw his statue at the temple. Lord Braska defeated Sin ten years ago. Yuna's the heir to a great legacy!" said Wakka, appearing just as sudden as Ed had.

"It's tough when your father's famous.", replied Tidus, getting a quizzical look from Wakka.

"Wakka's...a bit lacking in the imagination department.", said Lulu, who was by Wakka's side.

"Thanks, Lulu. I'll keep that in mind.", said Tidus, and he walked off.

……

Edd was standing on the top of the boat, watching the waves break as the Liki impacted against them. Eddy noticed him, and walked up next to him. "Hey, sockhead, what's going on?"

"Oh, just wondering when and how we'll ever get home. It's been how many days now?"

"I dunno. Considering we'd be knocked out for periods of time, and getting swallowed by that Sin thing. Wonder how everyone's doing without us? Probably partying their hearts out."

"What of our parents you think? Do you think the same of them?"

"No. I'm just saying enjoy this. You can't keep yourself moping about this sort of thing. You have no control over it. Like that kid said: It's our story, let it write itself out."

"I suppose so. But it's natural to be a little homesick isn't it?"

"I suppose not."

The two continued to stare off at the small formation that was to be an island, oblivious to the giant creature swimming directly underneath the Liki.

……

Tidus walked over to Yuna and stood by her. "You're a blitzball player, aren't you? From Zanarkand, right?", asked Yuna suddenly.

"You hear that from Wakka? Wakka doesn't believe me at all."

"But I believe you! I've heard, in Zanarkand...there is a great stadium, all lit up even at night! Great blitzball tournaments are held there, and the stands are always full!"

"How do you know that?", asked Tidus. Her description matched Zanarkand's blitzball dome perfectly. Especially when he was playing.

"A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian." replied Yuna.

The coin dropped. "My father...his name is Jecht!". It couldn't be…not his dad. What were the odds?

"Amazing! You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!"

"It can't be him."

"Why not?"

"My old man, he died. Ten years ago. Off the coast of Zanarkand." Said Tidus sourly.

"I'm sorry."

"He went out to sea for training one day...and never came back. And no one's seen him since. Exactly ten years and three months ago."

"Why, that's the day that Jecht came to Spira. It's true! I first met Jecht ten years and three months ago! I remember, that was the day my father left. The date fits, doesn't it?" said Yuna excitedly.

Tidus still wasn't about to jump to that conclusion. Too many holes. "Yeah, but how would he get here?"

"You're here, are you not?"

"Yeah…but"- the ship started rocking violently, and from the depths of the water, One of Sin's fins came out of the water.

"Sin!" a man ran over to the harpoon gun at the mast, and aimed it at the fin. Wakka stopped him from pulling the trigger. "What do you think you're doing?! Stick a harpoon in it and we'll all get dragged under!"

"Sin is going for Kilika! We gotta distract it! Our families are in Kilika! Forgive us, Lady Summoner!"

Before Wakka could do anything, the harpoon fired, and embedded deep into Sin's fin. The ship began to sink under, and water started to flood onto the deck. The sky became peppered suddenly as scales came flying down to the deck. The scales unfurled and became the creatures that attacked in Zanarkand. Tidus drew his sword and began to slice away at any scale he could find, backed by Ed, barreling into scales and impaling them on his claws. Eddy swooped down and began slicing away with his daggers while Edd took potshots at scales trying to attack from behind. But no matter what they did, more scales impacted onto the deck. "How many of these things are there!?"

"Wait, they're all coming from the fin right? Attack the fin, and we'll stop the scales!" said Edd. Wakka and Lulu nodded, being the only ones aside from Edd being able to attack the fin. The fin ducked back into the water, and the harpoon flew out. Despite their efforts, Sin continued to Kilika, engulfing it in a big wave. It sucks the debris into a 'halo' above it before dropping everything and disappearing beneath the sea. The group stared dumbfound at the destruction Sin wrought, despite all the globes of light and colored mists that blocked their views. The S.S. Liki pulls into Kilika Port somberly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Man that was longer than I'd like. I seriously should switch to Ethernet or something. Welp, here you go. Next chapter will be up when I can dispel the demons that bug up my internet!**

Chapter 7: Lost EDs 

Most of the people on board the ship walked off in a daze, but Yuna ran off, bowling over anyone in her way. She ran over to he survivors of the attack. "Greetings! I am the summoner Yuna. I have come from the temple in Besaid. Please allow me to perform the sending."

"Of course lady summoner, over this way. We feared our loved ones would become fiends." The villager led Yuna away along with Lulu and Kimarhi

"We'd best go see what we can do for everyone else." Said Wakka and ran off with the blitzball team, leaving behind Tidus and the Eds. "Hey Ed, you're strong. You go help the rest of the team; I'm going to see what this "sending" thing is." Said Edd, and walked off to the direction of the villagers. Eddy decided to follow Edd as did Tidus. He arrived near a broken dock with numerous caskets in the water.

"Uh, what's a 'sending'?" asked Edd to Lulu

"You truly are clueless. Are you sure it's just your memory that's the problem?"

"More than you want to know" said Edd gravely

"The dead need guidance. Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living. The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace."

"Summoners do this?" Tidus didn't receive an answer, nor did he expect one.

VEEET…WHIRR CLICK CLICK

Cinematic: Yuna walks into the water and a spout lifts her into the air as she

twirls her wand. The souls emerge from the caskets and rise up around her. She finishes after awhile, and Tidus turns to Lulu.

"It must be tough being a summoner."

"Yuna chose her own path. She knew from the beginning what it meant. All we can do is protect her along the way. Until the end."

Cinematic Over

Click…Whirrrrrrr

"Until the...end? What's the end?" asked Tidus. The villagers, not knowing his problem, all turned and stared at him incredulously, like he just farted loudly.

"Until she defeats Sin." Lulu replied.

By this point, Yuna had finished sending off the souls of the dead and stepped out of the water. "I hope... I hope I did okay."

"You did very well! They've reached the Farplane by now." Lulu said, with what might have been a smile. "But... no tears next time, hm?"

Afterwards, there was a long silence, as the villagers returned to fixing their broken town. Edd was the first to break the silence. "Well, why don't we find a place to stay? It is getting dark after all."

"Yeah…" said Eddy glumly. "Dang it…this hero stuff is really getting to me."

The next day, Datto jogged into an inn, and ran to the very back. There, he found Ed, Edd, and Eddy snoring soundly. "Hey, Ed, Cap'n Wakka's waitin for ya by the temple steps. Come one!" he called. He then ran out before Ed could ask where that was. "Don't worry yourself Ed, I'll aid you in finding this temple. Besides, it would be a nice way to learn more about their religion. Come on Eddy."  
"Why?" called Eddy groggily.

"Because Ed's our friend, that's why."

"Good night."

"Ed, please retrieve Eddy for me please?"

With that, Ed grabbed Eddy's sheet, and covered him in it, pillows and all, tied the ends together and hefted the load out like sack. "Okay. I get the point, let me out now. Seriously. Ed? Hello?"

…..

"Should I even ask?" said Tidus

"No. It's the only way Eddy will learn."

"I still think hauling me around like a sack of potatoes a bit of overkill." Eddy called out, his voice muffled by the pillows and bed sheet.

Before the argument could continue, Wakka showed up, smiling broadly, and keeping his distance from Edd. "Besaid Aurochs! Huddle! On to the temple, where we pray for victory! High Summoner Ohalland used to live in the Kilika temple here. Yep, Lord Ohalland was once a great blitzer, you know? Eh…what's with the sack?"

"Don't ask."

"Wakka...", asked Tidus warily. "Praying for victory's all good...but is this right? This whole focusing on blitzball with all that's going on?"

"Tidus, I believe that it is one of the few outlets of entertainment. It's human psychology to find some refuge from wordly dilemmas, if only for a little while. Isn't that right Wakka?"

Wakka nodded grimly. "They forget pain, suffering... Only the game matters! That's why blitz has been around for so long. Enough of this touchy emotional stuff, we gotta get to the temple! It's beyond the jungle there. Let's go!"

"Can I come out now", asked Eddy.

"No."

"You know I'll just cut my way through right?"

"Try that while I have your knives Eddy." scoffed Edd. Everything else Eddy said was muffled by the pillows that covered his face, but it was probably very colorful.

…..

The group finally made it up a honking' amount of stairs, leaving Edd exhausted. And disappointed considering that he wasn't even close to the top. Tidus simply walked over to the group waiting by the railings to the jungle. Yuna shyly walked over to Tidus, and said something to him in a nervous tone. Edd couldn't pick any of it up, and Eddy was too covered up to hear anything. Ed forgot half of it as he heard it, barely remembering tidbits, like "guardians", "wanting Tidus nearby", and some other stuff.

"You sure about this, I mean, can we just talk about it la-PLANT FIEND!" yelled Wakka as an enormous…well….plant fiend appeared. The entire party pulled out their weapons and charged…except for Eddy who was now trying to gnaw and tear at the fabric of his bed sheet/bag prison.

Lulu shot a fire spell at the monster while Tidus slashed at the flailing tentacles. Wakka would throw his ball at any tentacles that got out of Tidus' reach and Edd provided cover for Kimahri while he charged in. The Ronso did some strange technique with the beast and he suddenly used one of the plant's attacks. Edd didn't have time to ponder as a rogue tentacle smacked him in the head, bowling him over, Eddy's knives flying out and skittering to Eddy's bag, who was almost out. Eddy eyed his knives, and crawled over to them, grabbed one, and slashed himself free. "HA! Whaddya got to say to that Sockhead? Oh dang, the sucker's out cold. Whoa!" he ducked as a piecof of debris flew right where his head was only a second ago, and turned to see the plant beast everyone was so preoccupied with. He couldn't reach it in time on foot, so he took aim, and threw a knife. Surprisingly, it landed right in its "head". The creature gave a roar in pain as Tidus delivered the deathblow, and the massive creature dissipated into the souls of the dead. No sooner it had disappeared as the two crusaders Luzzu and Gatta ran up, awe being the best way to describe them. "Wow, you just got rid of, Ochu, Lord of the Wood! We've had trouble with this one before. And you guys took it out like nothing."

"Eh, all in a day's work for uh, whatever it was you call us. The guado-what-a-mah-jigs."

"Wow…"

And the group left them in their stunned state. Then Ed came back for Edd's unconscious body and ran off.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'd doubt you'd believe me when I say this, but, I' have got a lot of distractions. The bugs from switching to Ethernet, The upgrading to vista, The fact that I have had Writer's Block for who knows how long, and that I found this game called Namco x Capcom which looks like a kickass RPG/Strategy/Fighting version of Marvel vs. Capcom, but it's Japanese only, making it really hard for me to 1, get a copy, and 2, mod my PS2 to play Japanese games. Which brings me to my next point: Do any of you out there know where I could get my PS2 modded cheaply, or a cheap Japanese PS2? Thx for your patience. If anyone's still out there.**

Chapter 8: Who Do You Think You Are, Rocky EDboa?

"So, uh, are there always monsters like that?" asked Eddy

"Oh ya, but not all of them are as tough as that. Usually they're a lot clumsier, and you can easily take them down, even with machina, I have to admit." Replied Wakka, eyeing Edd's still form draped over Ed's shoulder.

Ed was about ready to wake Edd up by slapping his face around a bit, when there was a great rumbling beneath them. "SINSPAWN" someone screamed, and a giant …well, sinspawn erupted under a large chunk of stone. The entire party readied themselves for another fight, except Edd, who was sprawled on the ground. But before the fight was even joined, Ed's brain hatched a plan. With speed never before seen, Ed grabbed the largest stone, evaded through the creature's tentacles, jumped up, and slammed the rock down on the sinspawn. The bits of the monster that wasn't crammed back into the hole it came from wriggled for a while until it stilled and vanished. Everyone, especially Eddy was amazed at the display of skill.

"Whoa, Ed, that was amazing, how-why- did you think of that on your own?"

"Well the big blob thingy came out of the ground and it kinda reminded me of the time the toilet in my bathroom ruptured a leak in one of its pipes and so I took a rock and plugged the hole before the squirmy thing could ooze out of the pipe, and devour my brains."

"Uh… yeah, sorry I asked."

"So am I Eddy, so am I."

And before anyone else could question what just happened, Ed grabbed Edd's still unconscious form by the legs, and dragged him up another flight of stairs. Some time passed and Wakka was having a conversation with Tidus involving fiends. Whatever it was, it seemed to have been making Lulu angry, as she suddenly butted in a started telling Wakka off. Eddy couldn't quite get the details as Ed was busy recounting events similar to his fight with the Sinspawn. "Say Ed?" asked Eddy "Would you by any chance know what the meaning of SHUT UP IS?!"

"I think it has something to do with doorknobs or something. Ummm…"

Eddy groaned and trudged on past Edd, who was at this point…still unconscious from getting hit on the head with every step. Actually, unconscious and bruised to be correct. But Eddy was too busy feeling angsty to really notice or care. Or to notice the blitzball team member he crashed into at the base of the temple.

"Ow… hey watch it buster!"

"You got a death wish! Nobody messes with a Luca Goer!"

"A What-Now?"

"No, not the Djose What-Nows... the Luca Goers!"

Eddy sjust stared incredulously at the blitzball players in front of him with confusion, and irritation. One of the other players spoke up. "Leave him alone, obviously if he's too stupid to not know us, then he can't be smart enough to know when to move out of the way."

"What?! Come to my face and say that!"

All while they argued, Ed made it too the top of the stairs, continuing his conversation with himself. "I think it was maybe involving that time, I got a hunk of fermented gravy caught in the keyhole, and I couldn't leave my bathroom, and- HEY EDDY! Who's you're new friends? Are you…abandoning us? DON"T LEAVE ME AND DOUBLE-D BEHIND!!!" he cried. This seemed to frustrate Eddy even more as it conjured snickers all around the Luca team. Suddenly the rest of the group arrived as well, Wakka noticing the team colors instantly. "Hey the Luca Goers. You here to pray for victory, too?"

"Us? Pray? Who needs to pray? The Luca Goers always win!"

"Oh, yeah? Then why are you here?"

"We've been praying for some competition this year!"

Then Tidus stepped on "Well here it is. The Aurochs arte playing again this year, and this time were winnin'!"

"Go right and play, but even kids can play."

"I HAVE HEARD ENOUGH OUT OF YOU MONGLING HORDES!" exclaimed ED. With a sweep of his hand, he caught the captain of the team in a headlock, and hurled him down the stairs. "Go BACK TO THE HOLE YOU CRAWLED FROM 'BLOWING NOSES'!" The rest of the team ran after the captain, yelling curses back that made Yuna blush. Wakka however was smiling broadly. "Man you really showed them brudda' but don't throw players down stairs like that, we might get disqualified otherwise. Oh yeah, and its Luca Goers."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Of Gods and Eds

While mostly everyone went inside, Eddy stayed with Ed outside trying to wake Edd up. "I think you knocked him into a coma big guy. I don't think I could even take that many shots to the head."

"Well Eddy, I could always try that again."

"You don't mean…"

"Yup."

He hoisted Edd up and-

**Slap**

"…"

**Slap**

"..nuh?"

**Slap**

"Ow!"

**Slap**

"Ow, Ed, didn't we agree you'd-"

**Slap**

"Ow, stop this!?" Ed dropped Edd abruptly, deep in thought.

"I recall no such deal."

"Ugh, anyway, what's going on, last I check, we were fighting a plant moxter, Ed was busy being Ed, and you Eddy were trapped in a bedsheet. Someone fill in the blanks between then and now please. And someone explain why I have a bayonet lodged in my pants!"

…

"Lord Ohalland, guide our feet." said Wakka, in a pious manner, Tidus almost never saw him in. Not wanting to insult, he got into the same position as Wakka, though he did not make a prayer.

…

"Well isn't all that just pleasant?" graoned Edd sarcastically. "I certainly hope those Luca-whatevers don't press charges, or we'll be in even more trouble. Were stuck in this world if you've forgotten, and"-

"Hey guys look at the color-y chicken."

"Not now Ed, we don't know how long we must be here until we can go home"-

"Aww, it's frozen in time, the cute little dickens."

"What Ed?"

He was right. A bird was frozen in mid-flight right above them. "Um Double D, are there any birds that do that."

"It's impossible Eddy…just impossible"

"No, not when time is frozen" said a familiar voice. The Eds jumped with a start, looking for the source of the voice. Ed finished looking at the bird just in time to notice a cloacked boy standing right next to him. "GAAAAHHH!"

"Hello again Ed children."

"So it was you entrapped us in this second of time.

"Yes, I wanted to check on your progress so far. Remarkable actually."

"I'm sure there's more reason than that to do something like freeze time." Edd said with a frown.

"Yeah, what he said." came Eddy.

"Yeah, what …uh...who said what again?" came Ed.

"That little remark earlier. Don't plan on returning home anytime soon. You have a great role to play in the universe, even after this there will still be worlds beyond that which require your aid."

"Why, don't they have heroes that can handle the situation?"

"Regrettably no. They could, but with minimal chance of success. With you, chances are…still quite low… but they are much higher than if you didn't."

"Really. And why tell us, the ones you dragged who knows how far across the cosmos, this? That even with are help, will probably die."

"In time you will know. Until then let me grace you with that knowledge, and a gift."

…

Yuna came stumbling out of the Cloister, still exhausted from her commune with the fayth. But alt least she succeeded. Another Aeon would now heed her call. The Aeon Ifrit. She stumbled out of the Cloister, supported by Tidus and her staff. Tidus noticed the Eds coming in from the entrance. "Well," he said, with a mix of anger in his voice, "where were you huys all this time."

"Well, they were, uhm…trying to wake mu up, see I suffered quite a massive panic attack, and because of that, it takes me ages to come to." Grinned Edd sheepishly.

Tidus looked towards Eddy, who was beaming, and Ed, who was smiling as stupidly as he always is.

"Hey guys, did something happen to your weapons? They look kinda different."

In fact, they were completely changed. Larger, lighter and crafted so artfully that even a master smith would look on them with envy. The boy had changed them saying "Weapons truly worthy of heroes such as yourselves." But when Eddy asked if the same could be done for his clothes the boy replied "Uh, no."

Edd quickly rose to the question "No, of course not there the same as always, we just, well polished them because they were so filthy. Well would you look at the time we must be going, must not be late for the boat now."

And like that, Wakka instantly forgot his suspisions and ran off. "Off to Luca at last!"

And with that, Wakka walked off with the Eds, their voices slowly dying. "Say why do all these monsters leave money after dying?"

"That's an excellent question, I have no idea brudda'

**So there you go, two chapters I had holed up for who knows how long. Okay bye.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Penalty: Too many EDs

Nightfall. Everyone had retired themselves to various portions of the boat. Eddy, had left to go under to the living quarters. There he saw a peculiar person in one of the weirdest-looking outfits yet. The man noticed him and said "Oi, what you lookin' at?"

"You. What are you, some kinda hobo, or chef? Some kind of hobo-chef, thing?"

"No, if you're dying to know, I am O'aka, Master Trader and Merchant."

"Never heard of you."

"Of course you haven't! I haven't really got started yet, and uh…need some money to start off. You would like to the O'aka donation fund wouldn't you?"

"What?! Why should I?" separating with money, even this gil stuff felt like a blow to his stomach. Especially if there were no benefits.

"I'll tell you what. You invest early on, and I'll give you not only a discount, but a share of all the profits. But that's only if I get at least oh…let me see-1000 gil."

This came as an even bigger shock. O'aka could tell he was losing his potential investor. "H-hey now. I'm not talking about a little 10-gil a month. I'm talking upwards of thousands. Think about it. Just 1000 no, and thousands later come back to you. Whaddaya say?"

Eddy tried hard to mask his excitement. He'd be set in this world if all this was true. "Deal bub! And the name's Eddy, Friendly Eddy, and anyone makin' money is a friend of"-

**Crash**

Ed had slammed into a wall, a few inches away from the door to his room. His eyes were closed. "Hello? Hello? Answer the phone someone!"

"Ed! What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for the kitchen Eddy. But it's hard with my eyes closed."

"So open them." Eddy groaned.

"I can't. I was in the middle of blinking but forgot how to finish."

Eddy groaned again and proceeded to pry Ed's eyelids open, while a snickering O'aka retired to his room, leaving the two Eds in there…odd situation.

…

"So what happens after the game?" asked Edd.

He was topside with Lulu and Wakka , enjoying the breeze, and planning for what to do post-game.

"Well I dunno about you guys, but the other kid should be alright. There's bound to be someone in Luca he can go with"

"And if not?" asked Lulu.

"He could always join a blitz team. Whatever it is, it's better than letting you guys stay in Besaid. I swear half the village was ready to throw you over the cliffs."

"And leaving us in Luca is better how?!" asked Edd, irritation not even hidden. Wakka returned the glare. "Well I dunno. Whaddya expect me to do?! You know? You're just lucky I didn't just leave ya behind on Besaid!"

"Enough you two!" ordered Lulu. "Why not make them guardians? It is what Yuna wanted."

"Oh, no we got enough. Besides it's bad luck to bring someone with machina!"

"Is that why you have such a problem with them? Your little grudge? Why don't you open your eyes for once!" Wakka almost instantly stopped, his color draining a bit. Edd saw this as a cue to sneak away. This was starting to look like a 'personal discussion'..

…

Tidus decided to leave Yuna to her adoring fans. She had a lot of them that was to be sure. He left to the only place on the boat there was no one around: the stern. Weird enough, there was a blitzball, just a ball. With no one to kick it, and it was positioned perfectly for 'that move'. Tidus remembered the when he was learning to actually kick the ball. Back then, he couldn't even kick it right, let alone touch it. Then memories of his father flooded in. Jecht was watching him, and the moment Tidus messed, he came out, gloating. "Well, well, trying to follow in my footsteps, are you?" Tidus remembered his words exactly. "I usually charge for lessons, you know... That shot is done…like this!"

Jecht Kick the ball into a pole three times, the last one sending it up. Jecht jumped after it "You can't do it, kid. But don't worry, my boy." Said Jecht all while performing his signature move, then adding a little extra de-motivator "You're not the only one. No one else can do it. I'm the best!" And Jecht sent the ball flying away with a powerful kick.

Tidus remembered that and every memory of Jecht so vividly. Then he snapped out of it and looked down at the ball at his feet. Pushing his thoughts aside, he decided to try that move. He kicked the ball into the stern, and it rebounded perfectly, Again, he kicked and again, he did it perfectly, and a third time, it flew into the air and Tidus followed, doing everything he remembered his father doing before delivering one final kick that sent it flying off the boat and into the horizon.

At first, Tidus was dumbfounded at firs, but as he came to realized what had happened he bean to laugh. "The best? Yeah, right." He stopped when he realized he was being watched. Wakka ran up to him, beaming. "Whoa brudda! What's that one called?"

"Doesn't have a name. Anyone can do it if they try." Said Tidus modestly

"Really?" said Ed, "I'm not totally sure that anyone can do what you just performed. As your body weighs the correct amount and your mass was displaced in the right position to execute the move perfectly."

At first, there was silence, then "Ed, do you even know what you just said?"

"No, just something from a comic book. I was wondering if you knew what all that meant."

"In any case," Wakka started, "show us one more time, ya?"

…..

After performing the move several times (and losing almost all the blitzballs on board), everyone dispersed again, leaving Yuna and Tidus alone.

"That was the Jecht Shot, wasn't it?" asked Yuna. This came as a shock.

"How do you know that?"

"Sir Jecht showed it to me when I was a child. He called it the 'Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III.'"

"Stupid name, huh? You know what? There is no Mark I or Mark II, you know? My old man said the name Mark III was just something to hook the crowd. He said they'd come back every night expecting to see Mark I and Mark II. And, they really did come back. I used to get so mad. Is he alive, you think?"

"I don't know. But, Sir Jecht was my father's guardian."

"So, he's famous here, too?"

"Yes. So if anything happened to him, I should think word would

get around fast."

"Uh-huh." Tidus was still not convinced.

…..

"What are they doing now?" asked Edd.

"Talking about Tidus's's's's….uh s's's's, dad. I think." Said Ed.

"How can you tell from over here?"

"Do not underestimate the skills of a master."

"Master of what?"

"Exactly."

Ed and Edd were on the top deck, watching Tidus and Yuna. All the while trying to keep Wakka away. After all, Edd already saw something brewing between the two, and felt it needed a little push. Ed was a little reluctant at first as he thought it was mushy love, but Edd managed to convince him otherwise in the end (how is a mystery to all).

"Ed, I think Wakka's catching on to us… did you put all the other blitzballs in a safe place?"

"Yuparoo!"

"Well, hand 'em over, and go distract Wakka with some more of your tricks. He's coming this way!"

Ed saluted and ran off to Wakka, thinking of every possible move he could do.

…..

"What would you do, if you found him?" asked Yuna

"Who knows? I thought he died ten years ago." Tidus shrugged. "Well... I'd

probably just smack him one. After everything he put Mom and me through. And because he was famous, and I was always... Well, you should know, Yuna. Your father's famous, too. Everyone in Spira knows him, right? Ain't it tough?"

Yuna nodded, with an anxious look on her face. "It is hard to follow in his footsteps, as a summoner."

"Sure."

"But the honor of having a father like that surpasses all that, I think."

"Well, there wasn't much to honor about my old man, that's for sure."

Yuna was appalled. Why would Tidus say that? Even if he didn't like his father, the good he did for Spira had to outweigh any bad he did. "You shouldn't say that about your father!"

"I got the right!"

"I guess you do."

This was pretty much as far as the two were going to get, as a blitzball flew through the air and smacked Tidus right in the head.

"Show me that move again!" yelled Wakka.

"What about my moves?" asked Ed pathetically.

"You already showed me 321different moves. 20 of them had to do with blitzball., 10 were legal, and I already knew 6 of them." Wakka yelled ay him, not even bothering to mask his irritation.

…..

Edd was down in the living quarters as the little get together between Yuna and Tidus ended. On his way over, he saw Eddy talking with this funny looking man. Whatever it was they both seemed happy; and Eddy being happy meant something bad was going to happen.

"Eddy!"

"Whoa! Hey Sock head, how's it going, I was just talkin' to my friend O'aka over here about some business."

"What sort of busine-"  
"Let's just say we'll be covered for the rest of our stay here in this world and leave it at that. Anyway, where have you been?" asked Eddy, with one of his biggest, fakest smiles yet.

"Playing the matchmaker that's all" smiled Edd, as he retired himself to his room.

Eddy was confused for a while, but then he shrugged and went back to his dealing with O'aka.


	11. Chapter 11

Like I said in my profile, once I begin to lose interset it takes damn near forever for it to come back, and then, only in random bursts. So here's a collection of all those bursts. I'm tryig to get through FFX in as few chapters as possible and move on to another FF. Write what you think the next should be in your reviews if your interested.  


Ch. 11: And Now for an ED Break…

"Ah, over there! The ships carrying the players are arriving now! This would be dock number 2. All the way from Kilika, it's the Kilika Beasts! High Summoner Ohalland used to play for them -- a big name to live up to. Their hometown was recently attacked by Sin wasn't it?" announced Bobba

"Yes, Bobba. They're going to be pulling out all the stops to try and bring back the cup this year." Replied Jimma, his voice amplified by the speakers lined all throughout, or more around the Luca stadium.

"Exciting, isn't it, folks? Our next team off the ramp is...Well, well, well! If it isn't the Besaid Aurochs! They're a living, breathing, statistical impossibility! I've never seen a team this bad! That's right! In twenty-three years they've never made it past the first round! Only a few die-hard fans are in the audience today."

"Dude, quit it, yer makin the fans feel bad." Jimma muttered. "Best of luck to them, and a safe journey back to Besaid." He returned to his mike.

"Right, Jimma. Moving right along, our next team is... Here they are, folks! Our very own Luca Goers! They've got power! They've got speed! They've got teamwork! They're an all-around first-class team! And they're back home in Luca!"

"(Suck-up) Without a doubt, they are the favorite this year, Bobba. And after the way they dominated last year, it'd take a miracle for them to lose today."

"(Your just jealous cause your from Besaid)You can say that again, Jimma. Look at the crowd, folks! Look at the crowd! Looks like all of Luca has turned out to cheer the Goers on! They know, I know, and you know, folks! The Luca Goers are number one!"

The Aurochs walked off the boat, many of them trundling around the hysterical cheering crowd, except Tidus and the Eds. Without warning Tidus grabbed a megaphone ("Where'd that come from?" asked Edd) and jumped up to a stack of crates.

"Stop right there, Goers!" Tidus called through the megaphone, attracting the attention of the entire crowd. "You guys are smilin' now, but not for long! 'Cause this year, us Aurochs are takin' the cup!"

"Yeah in your face!" agreed Ed as he jumped on to an adjacent crate, and pulled down his pants. On his butt cheeks was a sloppily written 'Goors, sucx!'

"Your spelling is atrocious Ed" was all Edd could manage.

……

"Have you lost what miniscule sense you have Ed? You could have easily gotten the whole team disqualified for that atrocious behavior."

"I have only a rough clue what double D said, but seriously Ed, you became dumber than I thought you could do."

"Justice had to be served, with a side order of potato skins." Ed replied stiffly to his two friends. The group had separated themselves from the others to pursuit their own agendas, which consisted of taking in the sights and figuring out where the team lockers were. Wakka did give them directions but the note Edd wrote it on somehow, in a series of events better not elaborated, wound up in a latrine used by Ed. "Even so Ed, we've barely been in Luca for 5 minutes, and already most of the city hates us. I mean look. Everywhere we go there's at least one person glaring at you."

Ed merely stuck his nose up and marched on. "Ed open your eyes!"

But Ed already smacked face first into a wall, smashing a gaping hole. "Hey I think I found the lockers."

……

Soon the entire Auroch team had assembled in the locker room. "Where's Wakka?" asked Tidus.

"At the match-up draws." said Datto.

"So, how did the Aurochs get such a losing streak."

"Cause we coincidentally got paired with the Goers each time for the last I-dunno-how-many years."

"Ouch."

Ed tried to keep himself focused on the group, but of course, his attention span wavered long enough for him to get distracted by dsomething shiny. Wakk at this point returned.

"We're playin' the Al Bhed Psyches first. If we win, we're in the finals! That's right, we got seeded! Two wins and we're the champions! First things first. Let's go over the basics again, boys." And he huddled the group together, pulling Ed into the group so he could be instructed on the rules of blitzball.

……

Ed however, only managed to process, 'Take the ball, swim to the goalie and throw it in, and make sure the goalie dowsn't block it.' Yuna suddenly came running into the room via the hole Ed made and ran up to Tidus followed by Kimahri

"Someone said they saw Sir Auron in a cafe!" she squealed with barely suppressed excitement.

"Au-Auron?" stammered Tidus.

"Yes, Sir Auron! Let's go find him!" and she grabbed Tidus and ran off with him before Wakka could protest. "Ah well, he knows the rules well enough. Now Ed-where'd he go?"

Ed had run off with the three. This Auron guy sounded so cool that Ed had to touch him. As they ran in search of Auron, they ran into a couple of Al Bhed leaning against a wall, Ed kind of literally slamming into one. They looked up as one.

"Y myto summoner!" ["A lady summoner!" said one.

"Fa sicd nabund." ["We must report." replied the other.

"Hey! Al Bhed Psyches, right? Some Al Bhed saved me the other understand me, do you?" Tidus suddenly realized as he received blank stares from the two Al Bhed.

"Lemme try." said Ed "Ahem, Oui crymm funcreb sa yc ouin kut U dnaac uv dra Ihtandnukr." ["You shall worship me as your god O trees of the Undertrogh.", and with that Ed followed after Tidus and Yuna.

One the Al Bhed was dumbstruck. "Ra ghufc uv dra limd. Ed sicd pa y cekh." ["He knows of the cult. It must be a sign."

"Naseht sa fro E's cdilg fedr oui." ["Remind me why I'm stuck with you."

……

The announcer tested his mike quickly and began to announce the beginning of the tournament. "Today, on this glorious day, players from all over Spira have assembled here...to participate in this great contest of bravery, skill, and strength. All of these fine teams, equally renowned, deserve to win the cup today. Such is the nature of this contest. Let us, the spectators, play our role accordingly: Let us sing to the glory of the winners, and applaud equally the valor of the defeated. Contestants, may Yevon be with you. (Wow, that felt good.)"

WHIRRR click click click

The sphere pool starts to fill up in preparation for the games.

The Aurochs take their places against the Psyches and the tip-off

begins the match.

WHIRRR click click click

……

Meanwhile, in the cafe, Tidus noticed that Yuna was missing.

"Kimahri! Yuna's gone!"

"Let's play ball!" Ed yelled, oblivious to everything. He still followed Tidus and Kimahri as they bolted out of the café. Lulu came running up to them in the opposite direction. Ed's brain was a little delayed in applying the brakes so he skidded right by her.

"Where in Spira have you been!?"

"Huh?"

"Yuna's been kidnapped by the Al Bhed Psyches. In exchange for her safe return, they want the Aurochs to lose."

"What!?"

"You sound like Ed now ("Hello!" called Ed from a barrel) .If they're only blitzball players, I doubt they'd do anything drastic. But we shouldn't take chances. Let's go get her." Kimahri nodded

"I'm going too! This will be no problem. They're telling the Aurochs to throw the game, as if they needed to! I mean, how good a team can they be?"

"Ed shall aid your benevolent quest as well" said Ed, a bucket over his head.

……

"This is so exciting, I mean look at that technology, how on earth could a race ever created a sphere of water that holds its own gravitational field independent of that of the planet's?" Edd quipped excitedly.

"No clue what you said, but this looks pretty cool. And the game itself looks pretty good. But what I wanna know is why isn't Ed in the Auroch group."

"Oh he probably got lost in the locker room. He'll find his own way out eventually. I doubt it's a matter of life-or-death."

…..

"What a harrowing life or death struggle all in the name of…uh…SPORTS!" yelled Ed triumphantly over a pile of wrecked machina, his claws gleaming with oil and coolant.

"What's up with these guys?" asked Tidus

"The Al Bhed were expecting us." Luna said nonchalantly.

"The Aurochs are keeping the score tied with some excellent defense, folks! Ow! He'll feel that one in the morning!" came an announcers voice. The party saw and turned to see a view of the game. Wakka was making an impenetrable defense, but he was getting the ever-loving snot beaten out of him.

"But the referee doesn't call the foul! Wakka's taking a real beating out there."

"Fight on brave soldier!" saluted Ed.

"He won't last. Let's go." Said Luna and ran off to the Al Bhed salvage boat.

They jumped on just in time...well, to get attacked by a gigantic machina that rises up from the belly of the ship that is. A gigantic machine that shoots dozens of blitzballs at break neck speeds. Most hit Ed, who barely registered them. "Awww… I think it likes me." He cooed. "You wanna play catch don't you?" he the started catching balls and throwing them back, which had no real effect other than distracting the robot. Tidus could see this as a never ending fight until he noticed something behind the machina.

"Hey, we can use that crane!" he bounded behind the machine, which was still firing balls at Ed, and pulled down on the lever. The crane sprung to life, and ripped off the machina's defenses, and its guns and, well a lot of stuff. "Poor thing." Ed said. "Time to turn you off." He walked over to the creaking twitching hunk of metal and tripped, his claws biting deep into the metal hull. Ed pulled in out and the machina tumbled over, deactivated. "Ooops. It wasn't me." Ed called out. Tidus laughed and Lulu gave a little smirk. Yuna then came out of a door on the ship.

"I hope you hurt them." Lulu said.

"A little."

……

"Thirty seconds left! The Aurochs are launching an all-out offensive! A long pass from Letty! It goes through! He shoots! Gooooooal! Unbelievable! The Aurochs win the match, 3-2!" yelled Bobba at the top of his lungs.

"Woohoo!!!!! WE WON! IN YOUR FACE AL BHED WHATEVER YOU GUYS ARE!!!" screamed a jubilant Eddy.

"Oh my, but Wakka seems to have sustained quite a number of injuries. It doesn't look like he could play another match."

"Well your forgetting two things. They got two new stars on reserve ready to kick the Goers pasty butts."

"That's one thing Eddy."

……

Tidus and co. walked into the locker room, not through the whole since it was already patched up. Until Ed broke it down again for his dramatic entrance. "We have rescued the princess Mario!"

"How's Wakka doin'?" asked Tidus.

"He's kinda banged up, I'm not sure he can play this game." said Datto. Wakka noticed Yuna out of the corner of his eye, and immeadiatley sat up from the bench, ignoring the pain. "How can you let some Al Bhed kidnap you?" he inquired in a parental tone.

"Hey, let it go, all right?" Tidus said to Wakka. He heard about Yuna's heritage, and had a bit of sympathy for the Al Bhed, so he didn't really like Wakka's predjudice to them.

"Don't go near Al Bhed anymore, okay? They're trouble. Bad enough we got some machina-user with us." He turned to Tidus and Ed. "The game's starts soon. No time for warm-ups. Ready?"

"Lemme at 'em."

"I AM POSEIDON! LORD OF THE SEAS HEAR ME ROAR!!! Meow…"

"…All right! I got something to tell you boys. After this game...I'm retiring. I promised myself this would be my last tournament. Win or lose, I'm quitting blitzball. But you know... Since we're here, we might as well win!"

"For all of Atlantis!"

"Yeah!" yelled the Aurochs.

"I'm warming the bench. He's taking my place. All right, boys, let's win this one! Let's make the Goers goners!"

"BLITZZZZZ!" called out Ed, charging down the hallway, rallying the Aurochs behind him. Once she was alone with Wakka, she sat next to him. "I saw you there, floating on the sphere."

"Hey, you weren't supposed to see that."

"You really gave it your all, didn't you?"

……

"All right, boys, what're we gonna do?" yelled Tidus. The Aurochs were huddled into a group, their hads on top of each other.

"Win!"

"For Cap'n Wakka!" called Botta. There were shouts of agreement. They then ran into the arena.

……

"This is it, folks! In just a few minutes, the championship game!" came Bobba's voice

"But who could have imagined... A championship game between these two teams? Our legendary Luca Goers against...the horrendously ill-fated Besaid Aurochs!"

"Ah he's just sayin' that cause he's from Luca I bet." Muttered eddy.

"I look forward to this match don't you Lady Yuna?" asked Edd, wary of the large Ronso sittingbehind them.

"Oh yes, but please don't call me lady, I never liked that formal thing."

From a stairwell, Auron emerges slowly made his way up and blended in with the crowd, his eyes scanning for Yuna.

"This looks like history in the making, Bobba." said Jimma.

The Aurochs and the Goers met in the sphere pool. One extended a handshake but pulled it away at the last second, trying to punch Ed instead. Ed retorted by slapping him.

"They're already going at it, folks! This is going to be juicy."

The game began and The Goers gained possession of the ball, only to be bulldozed by Ed, who yelled through the water. "You shall not prevail for I hold the power of Cthulu!"

Tidus took this as his chance to grab the ball and swam to the Goers goalie. Two Goers tried to tackle him, but he held fast, and Tidus sent the ball into the goal with a powerful kick.

"And Aurochs score first!" yelled Jimma.

Ball went into possession of the Goers again, and one tried to make a pass, only to have Ed shoot through the water like a bullet, catching the ball in his mouth midway. The entire team tried to block Ed, but he batted them away like a bowling ball smashing aside pins. Ed made a shot for the goal which hit the goalie squarely in the face, and rebounded to Ed, which hit him in the face, rebounding it again into the goal.

"Another one for Besaid. They really got some hard hitters this season."

"Yeah, but it looks like the Goers are going for a new strategy."

They started passing the ball to each other in short distances and brfore long reached the Auroch end, scoring one easily.

"What a great play! The Goers score!"

"(Suck-up) but look at this, the goalie is switching with…I dunno what his name is, but he's switching with the player who was like a massive boat."

For a good long time, the two played fiercely, Aurochs getting goals in, and Goers not really so. Ed, after all received practice when he played catch with the Al Bhed machina.

"And it's halftime!" called Bobba

"The Aurochs are just playing great, Bobba. Really great."

"(Now who's suckin' up?)"

……

Back in the locker room, Wakka was giving orders about what the next play should be. "Get the ball and just shoot like crazy!"

"That's it?"

"That's it. 'Cept you Tidus, you should try pullin out that move a yours a couple of times. Show Luca we're real pros now. Ed, you keep doin what your doin."

"None shall pass me." Ed said sternly.

……

"And that's the start of the second half. Looks like the Goers have pulled out a new strategy."

Indeed they did. They would gang up on any Auroch with the ball, and actually resorting to some brutal melee to get the ball. What made it so bad was that they just bordered illegal moves. Eddy was getting steamed. "Come on, what's goin on out there?!" he yelled

"Yeah, ehre's Wakka?!" yelled a spectator next to him.

"Actually, I was talking about-"

"Get that new guy outta there! We want Wakka!" yelled another.

"Uh..."

Soon the Crowd was chanting "Wakka! Wakka! Wakka! Wakka!"

Tidus knew it was time to go, and he slowly swam out of the arena

"The fans are getting impatient! They're calling for Wakka, folks! Say...Where is that player going? He's leaving the sphere pool! He may be injured!" announced Bobba.

"(You just reached a new level of stupid.)"

"What's this? Wakka's back in the game, the new guy switched with Wakka! The crowd is going wild!"

The Aurochs, glad to have their captain back, redoubled their efforts to win, and managed to tie with Luca. The game had to go over to extra time for to see who would throw the winning goal. Actually, it had to be done three times. Yet finally, it seemed the Goers would win, and were about to send a shot careening into Ed's goal, but Ed, had given himself completely to the role of Poseidon, and with a mighty smack, sent the ball shooting through the water like a bullet, slamming into the Goer's goalie, and kept going into the goal. Aurochs 16, Goers 15.

"Unbelievable! The Aurochs win, folks! This is one for the record books!" screamed Jimma. The crowd was in hysterics. The Aurochs had finally won a game against the Goers. The cheers quickly turned into screams of panic as fiends suddenly exploded into the stadium. Even in the sphere pool, chaos reigned as fiends chased players all about. Only after Tidus had rejoined the team, was Wakka and Ed able to rid the pool of the monsters.

Whirrr

A massive bird hovered fdown into the stands, ready to attack a mother herding her children, only to have it's way blocked by Auron. The bird screeched at Auron, who simply smirked and removed half his jacket to reveal his massive sword.

Whirr

"Auron!" called out Tidus.

"Sir Auron!" followed Wakka.

"Nice to see you join in. Auron said, not once turning his gaze from the Garuda fiend. The Garuda striked, too slow, and Auron bought his blade down on it's neck, severing the quickly vanishing head. Tidus ran up to him but stopped abruptly as water fiend slammed into the seat in front of him. From the pool, Ed was having a field day with the remaining fiends. "YOU SHALL NOT DEFILE MY KINGDOM MONSTERS OF THE ABYSS!" he yelled as loud as he re-breather would allow. Tidus shook his head in amusement.

"We ain't done yet." Said Wakka, and he notice that they were surrounded by wolf-like fiends.

"Hey, gimme a break!"

Whirr. CliCliClick. Whirrr

4

In the stands, Seymour summoned an evil-looking aeon. The aeon

The started shooting beams from its one eye and killed the remaining monsters.

"Whoa. Who's the freakshow?" asked Eddy. Lulu gave him a quick slap over the head.

"Maester Seymour. He's a Guado, that's why he looks different. But he's very powerful, both in strength, and in politics."

"I guess that means we shouldn't anger him." quipped Edd, his rifle still unholstered out of caution.

A cheer came from the remaining spectators. Seymour basked in the glory he received, but his gaze was focused on Yuna.

Whirr Whirr Whirr Whirr

……

"You're really leavin', Cap'n?" asked Datto.

"Yep. But don't you jokers dare slack off! The blitz season just started! Don't

make those faces, ya? Well... See you, boys! You be good!" and he handed the Blitzball trophy to Bobba, and walked off to Yuna, and her guardians.

……

"So, any news on what happened?" Wakka inquired from Yuna.

"Not really." said Lulu. "We don't know where the fiends came from. Maester Mika is safe, thanks to Maester Seymour. That's about it."

"Maester who?" said Eddy. Wakka looked at him like he just relieved himself in an alms bowl.

"I just keep forgetting you boys are from out of town. Maester Mike is the leader of all the peoples of Spira. He came to todays tournament cause it was in honor of him being master for fifty years."

"Someone needs to retire." said Eddy to himself.

"That's quite a record." said Edd.

"Maester Seymour's aeon... It was so powerful."

"Yes, it matched the power of Zombie dinosaurs from Planet Z-98 from 'Captain Angry-man' Special Edition issue #4"

Silence. "Ed, you realize your comic don't exist in this world right? These people have no clue what you just said."

"Uh, not to be rude, but anyone see where Tidus went?"

"We'll look for him, you guys just wait here." Said Eddy, and dragged Edd and Ed off with him

……

"Don't just stand there! All of this is your fault! Gettin' swallowed by Sin! Not being able to go back to Zanarkand -- everything, everything! I'm telling you, it's all your fault!" yelled Tidus as loud as he could. He and Auron were by the docks, out of the way, but Tidus was pretty loud, so he was bound to attract attention. Auron simply chuckled.

"Who are you, anyway? You knew my old man, didn't you?" asked Tidus

"Yeah."

"And you also knew Yuna's father."

"That's correct."

"Hey, man, there's no way! That's just impossible!"

"Nothing impossible about it. Jecht, Braska, and I...together we defeated Sin ten years ago. Then I went to Zanarkand...where I watched over you. So that one day I could bring you to Spira."

"Why me?"

"Jecht asked me to."

"Is he alive?"

"It depends on what you mean by 'alive.' He is no longer human. But then... I felt something of Jecht there in that shell, couldn't you? You must have felt him when you came in contact with Sin."

"It can't be..."

"It is. Sin is Jecht."

"What?!" cried Tidus, along with two other voices. Auron either didn't notice or pretended not to.

"It is the truth. You'll see for yourself. Come with me."

"…"

"Come on out." Auron said to a pile of crates. The Eds slowly walked out from behind the load, except for Ed who felt it necessary to smash his way through the pile. "Room Service."

"So how much did you hear?" Auron asked.

"Enough I guess, what your gonna kill us now?" replied Eddy.

"No, I'm going to offer my services to Yuna. Come or don't come. It's your decision." Auron began to leave. "Auron?" he turned, Tidus looked at him sternly. "Will I ever go home? Back to Zanarkand?"

"That's up to Jecht. Come." Auron turned and left.

"Aiyah… this has long day written all over it." Sighed Eddy as he followed Auron.

"Why don't you erase it Eddy?" came Ed

"Ed, don't think about it. You'll hurt yourself." said Edd as he followed his two friends. Tidus stayed for a moment to think. Then he too left the docks.

……

"Do you think he's gonna stay here?" asked Wakka.

"Sir Auron knows him, apparently. You were right. He did meet someone he knew."

"Do you think he'll find a way back to Zanarkand?"

"In any case, I'll miss having him around."

"What about the Eds?"

"Them, I dunno, Ed definatley. Eddy I dunno about him, and that scrawny one, well…"Wakka was trying to find a nice way of saying 'I'd rather he never came along.'

"They're still in town, isn't they? I think I'll go find them... Oh!"

Auron came walking to the outskirts of the city, followed suit by the Eds and Tidus.

"Sir Auron?" stammered Yuna.

"Yuna." Said Auron, stepping up to Yuna. "I wish to become your guardian. Do you accept?"

"You serious?" Wakka was dumbstruck.

"You refuse?"

"No, no! We accept! Right, everyone?"

"O-Of course! No problem at all!"

"But...why?"

"I promised Braska."

"Well Now that it's all settled, let's set out shall we?" said Edd, loud enough for the entire party to hear. Edd ran off to Mi'then Highroad, followed by ecveryone else save Yuna, Tidus, and Auron.

"He comes to, I promised Jecht."

"Is Sir Jecht alive?"

"Can't say. Haven't seen him in ten years. Don't worry, you'll meet him again soon enough."

"Yeah." Said Tidus half-heartedley.

……

Things were relatively uneventful down the road, the occaisional fiend that was dispatched with the swipe of a sword, or a well aimed shot from Edd's rifle(much to Wakka's dislike). About halfway, two chocobo riders came up to them. "Summoner Yuna?" one asked.

"Yes, that's me." Replied Yuna, stepping forward from the group.

"I am Lucil, captain of the Djose Chocobo Knights" said one

"And I'm Elma. We've been charged to guard the Highroad."

"There have been reports of a large fiend appearing in this area, with taste for chocobos. Do take care, Summoner Yuna, if you are to rent any … what's he doing?"

Lucil pointed to Ed who had her chocob's head in his arms, stroking its neck. "Pet the chicken, pet the chicken."

"You'll have to forgive Ed, he has quite an affinity towards chicken –like birds. These chocobos match the description quite well."

"Alright, that's enough. I'm serious, my chocobo needs to breathe!"

Ed let go reluctantly.

"Farewell." Said Lucil, and bounded off followed by Elma. Ed looked forlourn at the two retreating figures. "They grow up so fast."

"A large fiend... Let's go get him!" exclaimed Tidus.

"Why?!" asked Eddy.

"It's the right thing to do."

"Could we do the right thing in a way that reduces orur chances of getting mauled and eaten?"

"Jecht said that a lot, too. And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska and me." Auron laughed.

Further down the path, the number of fiends encountered intensified, abut all were still dispatched wth relative ease, especially since Auron was at the front, cutting them down like a lumberjack cutting down trees. The party soon came across Luzzu and Gatta from Besaid.

"Hey, we saw the game! You guys are great!" exclaimed Gatta.

"Yeah congratulations, Wakka! Agreed Luzzu

"Hey! Stop loafing around!" Elma and a full platoon of chocobo riders appeared seemingly out of thin air.

"Uh... " stammered Gatta. "The lady summoner and her guardians..."

"This mission requires our full attention. We've no time to waste!

Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am! Apologies, ma'am!"

"Carry on." And Elma trotted off.

"Sorry you had to see that. Uh…see ya!" and the two ranoff.

Eventually the party reached an Al-Bhed shop. "We rest here." Auron said bluntly.

"But, this is an Al Bhed shop!" stammered Wakka

"Is that a problem?"

"They don't believe in Yevon, and in Luca they... They kidnapped Yuna!"

Yuna patted Wakka's arm. "Sir Auron's just concerned about your health."

"Well I'm not tired one bit!"

"I am." said Auron.

"So am I." agreed Eddy

"Me too." said Edd.

"Sleep is good for Ed." Said Ed

The group decided to stay the night, despite Wakka's protests and near constant grumbling.

……

During the evening, the Eds shared a room with each other, and given Ed's loud snoring mixed with his naturally horrible body odor, Eddy and Edd left dfor some fresh air. Edd stopped at the entrance of the shop. "Hey sockhead, what gi-"

"Shush!" Edd hissed. He pointed outside where Tidus and Yuna were.

"You know... During a game, you have to think of blitz and nothing else, you know?"

"Okay."

"You can't think, "That's a cute girl in the fifth seat from the right."

And you can't be thinking about where you're going to go on that date, because

the minute you do, that's when you lose! You see, uh, Yuna, what I mean is, you

really shouldn't worry, you know? After we beat Sin, that's when you can worry

about the future."

"I guess."

"But, Yuna, how are you supposed to beat something big like that?"

"The Final Summoning. It's the only way to defeat Sin. The only way. With

it, we can call the Final Aeon. That's the goal of the pilgrimage. The Fayth of

the Final Summoning lies waiting in the far north, to greet summoners that

complete their pilgrimage. At the world's edge...in Zanarkand."

"In Zanarkand?"

"She means the ruins of a city destroyed a thousand years ago." Auron appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"You sure it's ruins?"

"That's what I've heard."

"You'll see it for yourself soon enough. Yuna, come back inside." And with that, Auron walked back inside. He passed the two spying Eds, and said "It's not nice to spy." And continued upstairs.

"You will go with us...to Zanarkand?"

"Yeah, I'll go. I'll go to Zanarkand to see it with my own eyes."

And with that Tidus and Yuna stared out into the sea. "That's or cue Sockhead. Back to bed."

"With Ed?"

"Roll him on the floor. He'll be fine."

……

The next moring, the group assembled, save Eddy who refused to get up and found himself tied in his sheets again, slung over Ed's back. Tidus was walking outside when he encountered the owner of the shop.

"Bentuh sa. (Pardon me.)" he said.

"Sorry?"

"Ah, forgive me, sir. I meant to say "pardon me," but it came out in Al

Bhed."

"Oh, you're an Al Bhed?"

"I am Rin, owner of this establishment. Heci du saad oui. (Nice to meet

you.)"

Ed bowed to Rin. "E socamv ys xieda byndeym du Chelgantuutmac yc famm. (I myself am quite partial to Snickerdoodles as well.)" rin held back a chuckle. "I see you're interested in our languages, You should look for primers of our language, it will help ou avoid confusion in the future."

"…You talk like Double D."

"He means thank you." Edd covered for him.

"Ahh! Someone, help! The chocobos!"

"That's our cue, let's go." Said Auron, and ran off.

"To the uh… where's the problem again!"

"The Chocobo Corral, not too far up the road."

"Thanks." And Edd followed the rest of the group.

"Tally ho!" yelled Ed at the top of his lungs, the sack holding Eddy swinging in every direction. "ED! I'm gonna hurl! Cut it out!"

After arriving at the Chocobo corral, the party saw the Chocobo Eater

grabbing the Chocobos. The Chocobos freed themselves and got away easily, and the Chocobo Eater turned it's attention to Tidus and Co. The Eater gave a roar, only to have it drowned out by the crack of a rifle shot. Lulu cast a fireball spell, which splashed flames over its hide, and Auron, along with Tidus slashed at it with their blades, but the Chocobo Eater wasn't really that damaged despite the punishment it received, but was progressively backing itself to a cliff. Ed, despite his limited brain power, noticed this strategic advantage, and in one bound, closed the distance between him and the fiend, swinging the sack with Eddy in it into the Chocobo Eater's face, the force sending the creature tumbling over the cliff and to the waters below. "Sound ooff, everyone alright?" asked Tidus. "I think Ed dislocated my spine." whimpered Eddy.

Rin was running up to the corral now that the danger had passed. "Have you an interest in renting some chocobos?" he asked. "As a token of our gratitude, the first time is free of charge. Please ask the attendant, if you wish to rent." And so they did, and they received 7chocobos, until Eddy finally managed to tear his way out of the sheet holding him, then they received 8 chocobos. "This'll make traveling easier." Contemplated Edd, trying to get his bird under control.

"Lovey dovey chicken." Said Ed happily, squeezing his chocobo, cutting off it's air.

"I…hate…birds…" grunted Eddy, and the chocobo simply pecked his head to get his attention.

After much practice, the Ed's managed to get their chocobo riding skills to a good enough level where they wouldn't kill themselves, and they set off to Mushroom Rock. Dona was their having an argument with a guard.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm a summoner!" she screamed. Barthello simply stood there, unflinching, his eyes, according to Eddy, were moving in separate direction.

"Sorry, ma'am! No exceptions!" retorted the guard in a louder voice.

"You dare impede a summoner's pilgrimage?"

"Sorry, ma'am! No exceptions!" repeated the guard.

"Useless!" she shrieked. She turned abruptly, and walked directly into Tidus' group."Oh, it's you. As you can see, not even summoners can pass. But they'll

call on us in the end. Just wait and see. In the meantime, I think I'll have a

nap. Oh, Barthello?" Dona trotted past them, regaining her haughty composure, Barthello following behind her heels. Just as she left a carriage pulled up, Luzzu and gattawere in the front, a sinspawn growling in the back.

"Gatta and Luzzu reporting, sir!" Gatta said to the guard.

"This is the last of them."

"Good to have you with us. Go on through!" said the guard.

The carriage went passed the guard, and then the guard immeadiatly blocked the way again.

"I'm sorry. I can't let you pass. Hey, you're a summoner and her

guardians right? Sorry for the inconvenience."

"Tell me about the operation." Tidus inquired.

" What, they didn't tell you? We're bringing sinspawn from all over Spira

here. Sinspawn inevitably draw Sin, right? We're going to lure it into a trap!"

Like a script, Seymour showed up at that moment, he knelt down and prayed, as didYuna, for some reason. I don't know the Yevon religion so don't ask me why.

"So we meet again, Lady Yuna." Seymour said, a smile on his face, with a voice that sent a chill down Eddy's spine.

"Y-Yes?"

"You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?"

"Well..." she looked to the guard.

"I see."

"Maester Seymour. Let me show you to the command center." The guard said, saluting Seymour.

"Hold, I have a request."

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"I need to have Summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the

command center."

"But, Maester Seymour, sir-"

"Do not worry, I will take full responsibility."

"Ahem…very well. They may pass."

"It is done." Seymour said, more to Yuna than to the group.

"Thank you. Your Grace." And Seymour walked off, an air of an almost cold calm resonating around him.

First there was silence, then Eddy's voice, "Uh, I think we can go now, wanna get a move on?"

"Oh! Right!" Yuna and Lulu moved on.

" Who does he think he is?" Tidus grunted.

"He's a maester. Better get used to it, ya?" sighed Wakka.

The group moved on to Mushroom Rock. Their…

"All hail Maester Seymour!" came the resonating sound of countless soldiers.

Seymour appeared, angina as if by magic(probably did).

"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira. Believe in the path

you have chosen, let faith be your strength! I, Seymour Guado, maester of

Yevon, will bear your witness to your deeds today."

"Sir!"

"What's going on? Why's Maester Seymour backing the Crusaders, eh?

They're using the Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the teachings!" Wakka said, almost yelling.

"Even going against the teachings they're willing to risk it for the

greater good. Wakka, I think Maester Seymour sees that, too." Yuna said.

"Sacrifice must sometimes be made." Agreed Edd. Wakka looked at the two, and then turned to Lulu.

"Lulu?"

"Hmm... I can only speculate."

"Ask him yourself." Auron broke the ice and approached Seymour.

"Ah, Sir Auron. It is an honor. I would be most interested in hearing

what you've been doing these past ten years." Seymour said, his warmest smile yet. Which still seemed sincereless.

"I've got nothing to say about it." And he walked off.

"I...see. Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian."

"Your Grace!"

"Please, there's no need for formalities." Seymour replied to Yuna, with a wave of his hand.

Excuse me... Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship...presently...present

here...sir?"asked Wakka

"Please, speak as you normally would." Seymour said, smiling again, looking like he was just told a funny joke.

"Uh. Isn't this operation again the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna

stop them?"

"It's true... I should. However... Both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed

truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they

share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I,

Seymour Guado-the person, not the maester of Yevon... As a denizen of Spira, I

wish them well in their endeavor."

"But, using machina... That's bad, isn't it?"

"Pretend you didn't see them."

"Beg your pardon, but that's not something a maester should say!" Wakka was on the verge of anger again.

"Then, pretend I didn't say it." Seymour replied, smiling again, cocking his head to one side.

"You're kidding!"

Eddy turned to Tidus. "I can't tell what, but something about this guy isn't right. I should know, I'm a whiz at lying."

"Yeah..but what he says makes sense."

"Still, I can't help but think he's doing it for something else. He seems like the kind of gut who does stuff solely to benefit himself."

The group moved on, as Seymour pulled a 'disappearing act.' Soon, a man clad in full armour ran(How? That armour looked heavy) ran up to them.

"Excuse me, Lady Summoner Yuna? The command center... Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am."

"Thank you."

"Take that road to the command center. It's not far. We're still in the

midst of preparations this way. Sorry." And so they detoured to the command center. Until they saw Gatta and Luzzu. They were fighting.

"Why only you, sir? I want to fight, too!"

"Orders and orders."

"I'm not a cadet anymore, sir! Let me go with you, and I'll prove it to

them!"

"Guarding the command center is important too, you know."

"But I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, sir!"

"I know, but an order's an order. To your post, Crusader."

Gatta scowled and stormed off.

"They let you through, huh?" Luzzu said as he noticed Yuna and her guardians.

"Gatta deserves better..." Tidus said.

"At least there's no chance he'll get hurt." Wakka said. He then turned to Luzzu. "Why are you guys fighting, anyway? Aren't the almighty Al Bhed machina enough?"

"They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at

bay till they're done."

Wakka was ready to retort when Luzzu held up his hand. "Wakka... I might not get another chance to say this. It's about your brother." Lulu ran up.

"Luzzu, no!"

"What?"

"I'm the one who convinced him...to enlist. Sorry." Wakka slugged him in the face. Lulu sighed, and Eddy said to Edd "Better not get involved."

"Right." and the two sneaked off.

"Wakka! That's enough, Wakka!" yelled Tidus, holding Wakka along with Ed. Wakka finally loosened up and the two let go of him. "When we used to play blitz together, Chappu used to say... He'd say that-when we won the Cup, ya?-he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day… goes off and becomes a Crusader. Just like that." Luzzu got up.

"Chappu also said to me... That being with your girl is good... But keeping Sin far away from her is better."

"Lu, you knew?"

"Luzzu told me...before we left."

"She hit me, too."

Lucil then bounded up. "All Crusaders in the vanguard are to assemble on the beach!"

"That's my cue."

"Luzzu! Don't die out there. I ain't done yet." Yelled Wakka, holding his fist up.

Luzzu ran off to join the vanguard.

They moved on in silence, before reaching the command center, the walked by a set of giant cannons.

"Curse these...!" Wakka growled and wound up to kick one. Edd followed Wakka.

"Um, Wakka I think I know what your going to do, Iand I'm telling you, you don't want to do it, you'll onluy hurt yourself more."

Wakka ignored him and strode past, kicking one of the cannons, and hurting his foot.

"He really hates them, huh?" Tidus said to Lulu.

"Chappu... he left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid. And he fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead."

"That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!" snapped wakka, regaining his composure none too gracefully.

Lucil bounded up to them…again. "Lady Summoner! There you are! The command center is that way. Maester Kinoc is also there."

"Maester Kinoc, too?"

"Yes. Please hurry, my lady." And so they hurried on. They saw a maester.

"I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet. Good

to see you, Auron! Ten years, isn't it?" said the master.

Before anyone could ask, Lulu said. "That's Wen Kinoc, one of the Four Maesters of Yevon. He leads the warrior monks and also commands the Crusaders."

"Tell me, Auron. Where have you been to last ten years?"

"We don't have time for this now, do we?"

"This plan won't work, you know that. We'll just let them dream a little

longer." He said dismissively.

"What?" Seymour appeared from out of the Command Post.

"Lord Kinoc..."

"Oh, yes. Proceed."

"That Kinoc, a maester?" Auron pondered out loud.

"I heard that, Auron. A lot has happened the last ten years. What were you doing, and where?"

"Fulfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am."

"Just tell me one thing: Have you seen Zanarkand?"

……

A little later... "I kinda...think we don't belong here." Yuna said nervously.

Tidus' group prepared for the coming, battle, checking weapons, making sure armor and guards were on tightly.

"Are you ready?" said a guard.

"Yes."

"Maester Kinoc. Please." The guard motioned to Kinoc.

"Will Sin come?" Yuna asked

"Sin always returns for its spawn. To make sure, we're going to encourage

them to call out to it." The guard replied.

"You won't have to. It'll come." ensured Auron. Tidus looked down at the goround for aminute, registering with the Ed's and no others. Suddenly, the water began to part, as an impossibly large monster shot to shore. Sin.

Whirrr…

"Let's go!" yelled Lucil.

The cannon operators prepped to fire, making countless adjustments, reading various gauges, lining up the targeting crosshairs.

"Fire!"

A single massive, blinding shot came from the cannon. Sin was hit, but only hit the shield, which gave way, and sinspawn began to peel off onto shore.

"Charge!" yelled Lucil. The vanguard charged into the advancing monsters.

They seem to be winning, but Sin seemed to be doing something else. A flash of light, and the shore is vaporized, along with everyone on it.

Whirr…

The group was scattered, only Ed, Seymour, Yuna, and Auron were still in relatively the same place. Sinspawn Gui had broken out of its cage and began to attack.

"Stand back, Lady Yuna." Said Seymour, and summoned the evil looking Aeon again. A fight ensued between the Sinspawn and the four, Auron slashing at any claws that came to close to Yuna, Seymour's Aeon pounding away at the creature, and Ed swiping away at it with his claws. The Sinspawn delivered a massive blow to Seymour's Aeon, sending it back to plane it came from. It then tried to bring one of it's hand/claw(?) things down on Seymour, only to have it stop centimeters away by Ed. The surprisingly strongboy sent the appendage to the ground, rooting it in there. As the Sinspan wrestled to get free, Ed ran up the arm to its head, and delivered a powerful deathblow, the force of the impacet actually sending bits of meat flying out the back of its head before dissipating into nothingness.

Whirr…

The Al Bhed's ship fired a lighting beam at Sin, but its force field was to powerful, sending the bean back at the ship, blowing it to bits.

Whirr…

Tidus woke on the beach, surrounded by corpses. Nearby, Tidus saw Gatta kneeling in fear. "What's...going on? Why? What? What's going on!?" He was losing it.

……

Edd was stunned, seeing the carnage below him but not hearing any of it, not even the soldier yelling in his ear. The soldier didn't seem to stop until the soldier gave a look of surprise as it was cut down by a sinspawn. Edd in his state, only watched, still dazed as the sinspawn poised to kill him as well, until an elaborate knife jutted out its middle. Eddy came running up to him, saying something. No words. Only darkness.

Click Click Click

Sin turned around its massive bulk, and it swam away. Tidus ran after it, jumping into the water. "Don't you run away from me!" he yelled angrily.

On top of the cliff. Yuna watched Sin's slowly receding figure. "Everyone, stand back! I'll summon!"

"You won't hurt it. Your powers are still...too weak." Seymour said somberly.

"But I must do something!" but she stayed her rod. Tidus continued to swim after Sin, but the massive beast continued on, faster than Tidus could follow. Tidus eventually stopped.

Click Click Whirrr….

Tidus woke up on the beach. "How many died today? People die, and Yuna dances. When will she stop dancing? When will it stop? Yuna won't stop dancing-not until Sin is gone. Those were my thoughts then...I think."

……

On the cliffs, the Eds stood. Dumbstruck at the destruction. "How can one guy do all of that?" asked Eddy.

"Maybe it's a message."replied Edd.

"What? "I'm super strong'?!"

"Maybe it's 'I want to die, so here's an incentive for you to kill me."

"Well if that was it, it worked. If Tidus doesn't kill that thing, I will."

Ed merely stood, understanding the predicament, but unable to find a better way to describe what he saw. So he said nothing. He only stared out to sea, still trying to contemplate the death he just experienced.

……

Everyone finally managed to regroup, most of them anyway, and were all still very sullen from recent events. "Hurry it up already you guys!" yelled Yuna, waving happily from about ten feet away.

"How does someone go from happy to sad lickety-split like that?" asked Eddy.

"Maybe manic-depressive?"offered Edd.

"In dark times she must be. She must shine bright." Kimahri said, much to the surprise of the Eds and Tidus. "The cat-thing speaks!" proclaimed Ed.

"Now are dark times. Yuna tries hard." Continued the Ronso, cuffing Ed upside his head (Heh…Ed, head), who merely giggled.

"If we worry, she tries harder. Do not frown."

"Don't worry, be happy?" asked Tidus, grinning.

"Where've I heard that before?" Eddy muttered to himself.

For the rest of the way to the Djose Temple was spent trying to get the Ronso to smile, with disappointing results. That and Ed broke out into the 'Don't Worry be Happy'song horribly off-key.

……

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No. Wait. Yeah we're here Ed?"

"We're where?"

Eddy sighed and counted to ten under his breath, then counted again, them slapped Ed in the face. "Do you ever listen lumpy?! We're…uh…where are we again?"

Yuna looked at the two and giggled. "Djose Temple."

"So, uh…are you gonna get another one of them Aeon thingies?" asked Tidus.

"Yup." Yuna smiled.

"Uh.. all I see is a big rock."

"Oh ye of little faith." said Lulu

Yuna did a quick prayer, and the temple revealed itself. It looked more like a frizzed lightning rod than a temple.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Tidus.

"The Lightning Mushroom Rock. It only opens when a summoner is addressing the fayth."

"That means another summoner's already in there." noted Wakka.

"Maybe Dona?" pondered Edd.

"If it is, we'd best hurry." Yuna said.

"Uh… Can we just skip this one? Ed hads a fear of heights."

"No I don't."

"I have to pray to the fayth in every temple in order to earn the Final Aeon."

"Dang."

……

Weird enough, Gatta was leaning against a wall to the Djose Temple. By the time Tidus and the group reached him, he was in the fetal position.

"Luzzu, he's..."

"Where is he?" demanded Wakka

"I found him...but he was...torn in half, I..."

"That...idiot!" Wakka yelled in frustration.

"What...what do I do now? I can't do this... I'm going back to Besaid!" and gatta got up, and ran. He ran faster than he ever had before.

……

The group entered the temple. Inside, three people came out. "I beg your pardon, but may I ask your name?" said the first one.

"I am Summoner Yuna, from the isle of Besaid." The man's face lt up.

"As I thought! The daughter of Lord Braska. You have the look of your father."

"My father? You knew him?"

"No. I have never met the man sadly. Ah, my apologies. I am Isaaru. I am

a summoner, like you."

"I'm Pacce. Pleased to meet you." Said the one to the right.

"And I'm Maroda. I'm guarding my big brother here." said the one on the left.

"Since I was a child, I've always looked up to Lord Braska. I wished I would someday become a high summoner like he was. You must have some of your father's talent in you! I believe you might someday defeat Sin."

"I...I'm not really... I've only just become a summoner."

"Of course, I've no intention of losing, either. So perhaps we should

race to see who can defeat Sin first, no?"

"Very well, then. I accept your challenge."

"Isaaru!"

"I, beg your leave! Good luck, to both of us!" and Isaaru ran off. Yuna then proceeded to enter the temple, followed by everyone save the Eds. "Hey, you." They turned to see Isaaru and his followers coming back.

"You are Yuna's guardians, no? Maroda's heard a curious rumor. I thought

you should know."

"I heard it from those Crusaders. Seems that summoners have been going

out on pilgrimage and just...disappearing."

"Maybe the fiends got em." Eddy said nonchalantly, earning a glare from Edd.

"It could be that...but not so many so quickly."

"How many aree talking about?" asked Eddy.

"Alot more than any number of fiends could get rid of."

"Sorry I don't know more, but...watch your back. Ain't much future for guardian without a summoner, eh?" said Maroda

"Please, be careful." Isaaru said lastly and turned away.

"Summoners disappearing eh? This sounds serious."

"I bet it was the Phantom Thumbs!! Snatching away hapless travellaers to see if their thumbs wil fill in the gaps of his own missing thumbs."

"A nice thought, but probablt not Ed. However, it may be kidnapping."

"Whatever, we'll think about it later, let's just catch up with the others, the sooner we leave here, the sooner we can put this place behind us."

……

By the timethe Eds caught up, the Cloister of Trials had been completed, and were in the room of prayers. Dona was also there.

"Well, well. You again. Still traveling with quite the crowd, I see." she smiled haughtily. Barthello approached Auron, and got a closer look at him.

"What is it, Barthello? You know this riffraff?" she asked, in a tone that implied that she didn't even care.

"You are...Auron, no?" asked Barthello.

"What of it?"

"Can...I shake your hand? Auron-no. Sir Auron. You're the reason I became a guardian!" Auron extended his hand and Barthello shook it vigourously, athen stared at the hand he shook Auron with.

"Thank you, sir! This means so much to me!"

"Looks like Auron has quite the fanbase." Edd said to Eddy.

"How's that for riff raff?" Eddy said to Dona, a foot from her face.

"Barthello, enough! Get back here!" Dona was quite flustered, and she huffed off, Barthello slinking beside her.

"Poor guy…" said Eddy, grinning at Barthello's hunched figure.

Eventually, Yuna came out of the prayer room. More accurately she dragged herself out, and almost collapsed if it wasn't for the blinding speed of the Ronso.

……

**I E Yu I…No Bo Me No…Re N Mi Ri…Yo Ju Yo Ko…Ha Sa Te Ka Na E…Ku Ta Ma E…**

The Hymn repeated again and again in Edd's mind. That and he was hearing it constantly outside. It had a very calming ring to it. If only he knew what it meant. He got up and walked over to Wakka, who was quick to hide his sneer as he saw Edd's rifle.

"Say Wakka…"

"Whaddya want?" he asked sullenly.

"That's the Hymn of Fayth I keep hearing about yes? Does it actually mean anything?"

Wakka seemed to brighten at the prospect of teahing someone about the way of Yevon, even if he hated that person. "Oh yah! It's actually stands for: "Pray to Yu Yevon, Dream, Fayth, Forever and ever, Grant us prosperity."

"Wow. That is quite deep."

Yeah well I doubt a machina-user would understand anyway." returning to his sullen mood Given the light of recent events, Edd thought twice about rebutting to that.

……

"Maybe you should let her sleep Eddy."

"The sooner she wakes up, the sooner we can leave this garbage behind. Have you seen everybody? They're always moping around whenever she's asleep. The sooner we leave, the better."

"You already said that Eddy."

"I was checking if you were actually listening. 'Sides, I wanna test a theory."

"That sounds like something Double-D would do."

Eddy slowly made her way to the sleeping Yuna, and gently lifted the heair from her ear and whispered. "Yuna, you're in Tidus tent, and he's naked. " Surprisingly to Ed, Yuna jumped up in a start wide awake, blushing, bedhair making her look ridiculous. "I'm sorry! I didn't know this was you-wait. What?"

"HJust getting ya up Yuna, come on, we're done here. 'Side's, you got a quest right? World to save and all? You're hair's messed up."

……

"Where to next?"

"We cross the Moonflow."Lulu simply said.

"Right! We're off!" said Eddy happily, glad to be gone from that fiasco. Eventually, they were stopped by two Ronso.

"Look! One of Kimahri's friends. Looks just like him."one said mockingly.

"Both follow summoners on all fours! Hornless goatlings!"The other said

"Hornless! Hornless!" they both laughed.

Eddy turned to Kimhari. "Who are these guys?"

"Biran and yenke." He replied. He turned to the two other Ronso. "You come to insult Kimahri?"

"Wrong. We come to warn little Kimahri."

"Summoners disappear. Never return."

"Next will be Kimahri's summoner."

"Look Bozo 1! Take a hike! Bozo 2! Follow Bozo1! Now git!" Eddy yelled, reaching into one of Ed's pockest and pulled out something green, stinky and wriggling, throwing it at the Ronso.

"Cimby! No!" cried Ed.

"Smelly gunk! This not over hornless!" and the two Ronso ran off.

"Kimhari will deal with them alone next time." Said Kimhari to Eddy.

"Oh…one of them honor things. Right whatever." And he walked off. Ed huddled over the splattered mass of goop. "cimby is in a better place now."

Edd stepped up to Eddy. "That was quite noble of you I must say, standing up for a friend."

"Whatever, I just couldn't stand them anymore."

"Well whatever your reason, you did something noble. A little unorthodox execution, but noble nonetheless."

……

Eventually the group stopped at a watery, swamp-like area.

"This is the Moonflow." Lulu said.

"Are you sure? Doesn't look very Moon-y or Flow-y"

"It's the moonlillies."

"Yes!" Yuna chimed in. "They say that clouds of pyreflies gather here when

night falls."

"Cool." Ed said, his brain working overtime to process the image.

"Well were not staying here to see it, we're going before we miss out shoopuff."

"Bless you." Said Edd.

"I didn't sneeze." Auron replied.

"What's a shoopuff?" asked Ed, before hearing a loud noise behind him.

"That."

So there you go. I know it's taking a long frikkin tme and I seem to be taking my sweet time but I'm trying to do what I can when I have the motivation. Thanks for putting up with it anyone who's out there.


	12. Chapter 12

There you go another collection of all my spur-of-the-moment writings

**There you go another collection of all my spur-of-the-moment writings. I tried to take into suggestion about reducing game script speech, and have resorted to using it only when I felt it essential to the plot. Even then, I would cut some out, as most people who read this have probably already played FFX, and know what happens anyway.**

Chapter 12: And it All Goes Out the ED

"Ten years ago..." Auron said.

"A history lesson?" asked Tidus.

"Ten years ago what?" asked Edd.

"Jecht saw his first shoopuf here. Surprised, he drew his blade and

struck it."

"…Why?" asked Edd.

"He was drunk…thought it was a fiend."

"Oh brother…"sighed Tidus.

"We offered all the money we had as an apology. Jecht never drank again.

But, it would seem that shoopuf still works here." He noticed a scar on the shoopuf's leg.

"I see, interesting story. Now how exactly does one try to at- ED! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

Ed was gleefully swinging about on the shoopuff's trunk, mush to the panic and anger of the driver. "Crazshy boy! Get off! You zshcaring the zshoopuff!"

"But it likes me." Whined Ed. If the shoopuff could talk it would disagree and tell Ed it was cutting off its air circulation. But it didn't so it simply wrapped its trunk around Ed and tossed him into the compartment on its back. "Ifsh the zhoopuf iszh damagshedm yoush be paying exzzhtra!"

The shoopuff trundled onwards, giving the party on top a magnificent view. Of a sunken city specifically. "What a marvelous archaeological find! A sunken city!" mused Edd.

"A machina city-a thousand years old! They built a city on top of bridges across the river. But the weight of the city caused the bridges to collapse, and it all sank to the bottom. It's a lesson to the rest of us never to use machina." Wakka said.

"I'm sorry I don't follow." Replied Edd.

"Yevon has taught us: When humans have power, they seek to use it. If you don't stop them, they go too far, ya?"

"But what about the stadium and such? Isn't that, 'machina'?" Edd asked, raising his fingers in quotation of machina. Wakka scrunched his face, trying to find a way to explain the loophole.

"Yevon, it decides...which machina we may use, and which we may not."

"So what kind of machina may we not use, then? The kind like Operation Mi'hen?"

"That kind. It was thanks to that kind of machine that Spira had a massive war, and it was thanks to that machine that Yevon punished us, by sending us Sin."

"Oh, that's why you don't like me using this huh?" Edd inquired pointing to the rifle slung over his back.

"Yeah, it is. But, it's not like the machina is bad, only the user. You crazy Al-Bhed."

"I'm not Al-Bhed."

"You're not? Then, why the machina?"

"It was given to me so I could protect myself against fiends."

"Oh. Sorry 'bout the mix up there then." Wakka said, suddenly smiling at hi for the first time.

"Oh it's quite alright I-" there was a violent shaking. "What the? Ed?"

"Sorry. But I couldn't hold it any longer."

"Hold wha-OH THAT SMELL!" Everyone in the compartment ran to the sides for air just as there was an even more violent shake.

"Whatsh could thatsh be?" wondered the driver.

"Not me guys, I only had enough space for one." Said Ed defensively.

Suddenly, a three Al Bhed swooped in to the compartment, grabbed Yuna, and jumped into the water.

"AMBUSH!" yelled Eddy. "I'm going down!"

He grabbed his rebreather (where he put it is none of your business) as well as Tidus, Wakka, and Edd jumped after Yuna. What waited in the water was another Al Bhed machina, that looked like a mechanical jellyfish holding Yuna in some sort of bubble.

Tidus yelled "Hang on Yuna, we'll save you!" and drover his sword into the machina. It had little effect other than disabling one of the flailing 'arms'. The machine spread open like a flower and launched shots of super-heated, high velocity water at the group with surprising accuracy, all but Edd being able to dodge, but managed to block with his rifle. Edd immediately countered by hutting one of the firing mechanisms, causing it to blow off and breach the surface of the river.

In the compartment, those that stayed watched in fascination, mainly because the distorting effect the water had, made the fight look more like a light show. Suddenly a large chunk of metal the size of one's arm flew out and landed squarely on Ed's head. Surprisingly, it barely registered. "Why yes I would like another teaspoon of Pistachio Gravy." See? No difference.

"Dang it! Let's finish already!" yelled Eddy,.

"Way ahead of you" Wakka replied, launching a spikey-version of a blitzball into the opening torn open by Edd's gun. The machine suddenly began to splutter and eventuall the grips that held Yuna's bubble released its cargo as it finally died.

"A bit anti-climatctic I have to say." Eddy said to himself.

"Eddy, I'm surprised you even know what that word is!"

"Ish ebullibody okay?" asked the driver. "Yes, we're all fine now" Yuna smiled. The driver smiled back, or at least it looked like he smiled back.

"Shoopuf fill shpeed aheads!"

The remainder of the trek was uneventful, only with Wakka raving, and Edd tinkering with the machine scrap that hit Ed's head. "I think this could be used to increase the rate of fire, mayber even increase the speed of the projectile…" he pondered at a piece of metal that simply looked like a ball of junk to everyone else.

"How do you know this stuff if you're not Al Bhed" Lulu enquired, her eyebrow raised.

"I learned it from a book my father had. We after all came from the same time as Tidus, so books like that weren't uncommon."

Lulu made a light nod and looked off. Eddy turned and whispered. "We're from a different world or have you forgotten?"

"They have a hard enough time grasping that Tidus is from the past. It will be even harder for them to accept our story. Especially a culture like this one."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later." Edd looked quite satisfied as he completed outfitting his rifle with the attatchments, gears poking out of the original frame, along with a large air container tied near the butt.

Ed, his brain being as loosely connectled as it was, sometimes processes at something higher than 15 making him somewhat smart. He had one of those moments suddenly as he spouted "Why did the Al Bhed try to kidnap the the Yuna lady do you think do you?" Wakka stared for a moment before realizing the question was directed at him.

"I honestly have know idea, but maybe they're mad they lost the

tournament! Or, wait! They're mad about Operation Mi'ihen! That's it! Wait…no."

"Didn't the fuzzball's friends mention something about summoners disappearing? I think maybe the Al Bhed has been behind it." Eddy quipped, pointing to Kihmari.

"Ah! So the Al Bhed are behind that! Those sand-blasted grease monkeys!" Wakka fumed.

"…Okay now that's racist." Edd said undewr his breath.

The shoopuff finally stopped and docked, the driver somewhat irate at the summoner's guardian's attracting so much trouble, with Yuna bowing a stream of apologies. The Ed's were lounging about when Edd spotted something crawling out of the water. He tapped Eddy, who then tapped Ed, then smacked Ed, who then tapped Tidus etc. As Tidus and the Eds moved closer, the figure got up, and removed its helmet. Turned out it was Rikku. An angry Rikku.

"You're...not dead?" Tidus asked dumbfounded, shocked and relieved at the same time. Rikku then proceeded to remove the rest of her wetsuit, revealing her traditional wear (everyonewho reads this probablyu played FFX so I don't think I need to explain her attire).

"Thought I was done for, back there. Why'd you have to go and do that for?"

"Do what?" asked Ed

"You tried to blow me up!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Really really really?"

"Yes really!"

"Oh…really?"

"Ignore him, his reactions haven't sped up sincewe last met."

"Still, that was mean!"

"You did try to kidnap Yuna."

"Yeah we-"

"Yo!" Wakka with the rest of the group came running up.

"Friend of yours?" Wakka asked, pointing to Rikku.

"Yes, this is Rikku, the one who helped us. The one Tidus was talking about."

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Rikku!"

"Yeah she's Al Bemmmpgh!" Edd covered Ed's mouth, earninga confused look from Lulu. Wakka was oblivious.

Wow, so you, like owe her your life! What luck meeting here, ya? Praise to be Yevon!" called Wakka, turning a few heads. He turned to Rikku. "So, uh... Rikku... You look a little beat up! You okay?"

Rikku started looking a little shifty.

"Uh, Wakka..." Lulu started

"…there's something we need to discuss."

"Girls only boys please wait over there!" Rikku said

Yuna, Rikku and Lulu then moved off away from the others and started talking in hushed tones. Juat as quickly as they had started, the girls dispersed and returned.

Yuna walked up to Auron, a look of determination on her face. "Sir Auron... I would like Rikku to be my guardian."

Auron looked at Rikku for a moment. "Well-"

"Of course she can! Thanks to her I'm alive, and that should be good enough reason." Eddy interrupted.

"Erm."

"I must voice my agreement. After all, the more the merrier."

"Can I just-"

"I think I caught a cold guyz as my nose is leaky again." Ed spouted out of nowhere.

"…You know what? I think I'll leave it to the summoner to decide."

"Well I wanted her to come in the first place."

"Then she's coming."

"Alright!" Wakka proclaimed happily.

"How can he be that thick?" Eddy pondered to Edd.

"Everyone but he seems to see the Al Bhed in Rikku.

The group walked onwards, encountering many fiends along the way. They were dispatched easily thanks mostly to Rikku's dabbling with items. Though everyone did their share the fighting, and were all exhausted by the time they reached Guadosalam, except for Auron who never seemed to run out of energy, and Ed, who was skipping merrily, singing a vague and annoying children's rhyme horribly off-tone.

Welcome to Guadosalam Lady Yuna, you are expected." Said the Guado at the front of the Guado city. "I am here to escort you, please come along." The Guado made a grab for Yuna's hand when Ed jumped in the way, claws drawn out, growling menacingly.

"Don't worry, he's had his shots." Eddy said nonchalantly. "But still, we're a little edgy with total strangers trying to go for Yuna.

":Oh, I beg your pardon." Said the Guado. "I am called Tromell Guado. I am in the directservice of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna."

"What kind of business."

"All will be explained. Now come come, don't waste any time now."

"Is ther food there? I'm hungry." Ed blurted.

"Of course."

There was food. A lot of it in the banquet hall. But most of it looked quite alien to the Eds, and some of it to Tidus. Ed however, being a person who would willingly eat a sandwich that can eat through floor tiles with its acid, dug in quickly, leaving the staff in real distress. "If Seymour pays for all the food he's eating, how will I get paid?" Edd heard one say. Eddy was busy holding onto what he thought might be fruit and took a bite. "It tastes like chicken. How is it possible for fruit to taste like chicken?!"

Trommel had disappeared to summon Saymour, so the party had been left to themselves in the banquet hall, most having their fill as quickly as they coul, then leaving to one of the corners of the room to get away from the whirlwind of dirty dishes and food bits that was Ed.

"What do you think woyld merit the attention of a summoner to someone like Seymour?" inquired Edd to Eddy.

"You're asking me a question? Usually it's the other way around. So how do expect me to answer that? I know about as much about this place as you do. OW! QUIT IT ED!"

Ed had tossed the bony carcass of some animal, the carcass hitting Eddy in the stomach and dragged his belt down to the grounds with it, along with his pants. "EDDY! SHOW SOME DECENCY!"

"I CAN'T UN-SEE THAT!" cried Rikku. Yuna screamed and looked away. Lulu simply looked away muttering "I thought I've seen everything. How wrong I was."

"Whoa." was all Wakka and Tidus could say.

Auron wasn't looking but chuckled lightly.

"What? I was dragged here when I was still in my pajamas. What do you expect Edd?" Eddy asked irritatingly, his face beet red, as he hastily tried to cover his leopard patterned tight underpants.

"You're still wearing that after all this time here?"  
"You make it sound like I don't wash it."

Trommel reappeared almost suddenly after like lightning, scaring Eddy, whose pants were still only halfway up.

"I can see something interesting happened while I was gone, and for some reason, I am relieved I wasn't here when it did happenned." Eddy grunted.

"Welcome all!"

Behind Trommel stood Seymour, smiling broadly at his audience.

"You...wanted to see me?" Seymour turned to face Yuna. "Yes, but there is no ruch. Make yourselves at home. I see that some of you have already." Seymour replied, eyeing Ed who was still scarfing down everything semi-edible, and Eddy, trying to fix the ruins of his belt. "Well, we are in a bit of a rush actually so if we could..."

"Of course, pardon me. It has been a long time since I had guests. Lady Yuna, this way." And Seymour advanced out of the hall, everyone following in twos and threes until there was only the Eds. "Ed? Ed? I think you've eaten enough."

Ed stopped gobbling down food and looked at his friends. Then at the ruins of what might have been a cake. "Just a little for the road then guys." And with that he started shoveling the leftovers into his pockets, despite the mess of oil, juice and cream he was splattering. "Right, well why don't you finish that and catch up later, we'll be over with the others being sick.

Ed nodded as his friends left and continued to stuff his pockets full of food, much to the disgust of the staff around him.

Click click click……

_Yuna steps into a dark room and it suddenly shimmers to life, the surroundinjgs filling with bright lifghts. Until she and everyone els is floating over a massive city. _

"_This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead that wander the Farplane." Seymour said. "What you see is-"_

"_Zanarkand!" Tidus gasped Seymour turned towards Tidus, nodding and eyeing him curiously._

_"Correct, Zanarkand...as it looked one thousand years ago. The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived in this metropolis."_

_"Who?" came Yuna, dumbfounded as he was as a sulking man dressed in some neon orange suit phased through her._

Click click click….

"Are you sure they went down this way?" asked Eddy. Being late, they had lost track of everyone and were traversing down a hallway.

"I honestly don't know Eddy. I wasn't keeping my eyes on them. I was too busy being sick from Ed's and your repulsive ettique."

"Me? It was lunkhead's fault for my ripped pants. I'm the victim!"  
"But you still caused a disturbance." Edd huffed as he opened a door. Out came crashing an extra dirty Ed. "Ed! Where'd you come from?" Eddy asked as he pulled him of a flabberghasted Edd. Ed turned to face Eddy. "The bathroom, I had to go really bad."

Edd froze as he realized Ed was still filthy, and he had toppled right ob top ….of…him. Edd continued his ascent ans slowly walked into the bathroom Ed had just left, procceded to close and lock the door. A stream of yelling and curses followd, most of it was thankfully too muffled but madesome of the passing maids and servants blush. "Uh… yeah Double D, I think we'll leave you to your business, and we'll… be…over... there… in the… main hall. See ya."Eddy said as he steppedslowly away from the door, taking Ed along with him. If Edd acknowledged it, he gave no sign as the sound of runnig water and cursing continued to stream from the bathroom.

Eddy and Ed had returned to the main hall to find the rest of the group had already converged there. Yuna looked a little flustered, and Tidus seemed sulky. "What happened while we we're gone anyway?" Eddy inquired, perplexed.

"Nothing." Tidus replied a bit hastily. Yuna looked his way worriedly. Wakka stepped forward. "Nothing areally special, just witnessed an illusion of Zanarkand, hey I got a couple of questions can ya anwer them later?"

"Uh…sure." Eddy said, shifting about.

Seymour looked at turned to Yuna. "Please, think it over."

"We will do so, then. We leave." Auron said bluntly.

"Wait, what about Double D?" Ed asked.

"Where is he?"

"Right here." Edd replied, his clothes really damp, and his mood sullen. "And you sir can keep away from me until you clean your apparel!" he pointed an accusing finger at Ed. Seymour smiled, admiring the Ed's antics. "Lady Yuna. I await your favorable reply." He bowed, then turned to Auron suddenly. "Why are you still here, sir?"

"Cause he's with us?" Eddy replied, puzzled. Seymour's expression changed from interest to satisfaction. "I beg your pardon. We Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane." Ed, not grasping the meaning, slinked over to Auron silently and started sniffing him like a dog looking for a treat his master was hiding. Auron looked down to see the sniffing Ed, and jumped away repulsed. "Can we get going now?"

"Right, let's go." Tidus said, clapping his hands together.

"Oh? Jealous much?" Rikku teased.

"Of course not!" Tidus replied, blushing a bit. It suddenly began to dawn on Edd what was happening, but he decided to let it play out to confirm his suspiscions.

"I thought we were leaving." Eddy said.

"Yeah, Seymour's mansion. Yuna wanted to ask her father something." Auron replied.

The Eds stood there with stupefied faces. Ed even stupider than ususual, his toungue lolling out in confusion. Edd regained his composure first and cleared his throat. ":Uh…I thought Yuna's father had passed on."

"He did."

"Then what?" Eddy came back next. "She's holding aseance in ther or something?" pointing to the direction of the Farplane.

"No, all spirits go there after death. It's just this area is so tuned to the Farplane, that's what oit's called, that spirits can manifest and talk to their loved ones. Or complete strangers in some cases."

Edd was really put off by the thought of ghosts. As was Eddy, but Ed's eyes lit up with a fire seldom seen. "MUST SEE GHOSTS!" and he sped off to the Farplane in a cloud of dust.

"For the last time, I'm a ghost, that does not mean I'm psychic! I don't know what you're thinking!" yelled the spirit of a soldier.

"Ooh! But can you give me a tub? Of gravy?" Ed pleaded, a smiled smeared across his face. He was still in Farplane, and had already aggravated thirty-ish spirits with stupid requests and trivia. "I'm not even going to ask why. I'm not psychic, I'm not a genie, and I don't know how the Cyclops for Gorblack 3 knew where to find the intrepid Spasce Heros of the Earth Expeditionary Force. What's Gorblack 3 anyway?!" and with that, the spirit vanished in a huff. "Awww." Moaned Ed. He turned around to search for another spirit, when he noticed Tidus and Yuna next to each other talking to a spirit of an old man. He couldn't make out what they were saying until near the end. "If I defeated Sin, that would make everyone happy...wouldn't it? I must do what everyone wants, not just what I want."

"Let's go back! You gotta tell Seymour." Tidus said to Yuna.

"Before that... Call Sir Jecht. Give it a try."

"Don't worry. He won't come."

Ed turned away. Even he knew Jecht wouldn't come. Wait. Who was Jecht again? Oh yeah, the other guy's father who was a monster.

"Who's a monster?" asked a ghost that materialized next to him. Ed spluttered as he realized he was talking out loud. "Oh, a ghost! Can you guess my shoe size from looking at me."

"Eeeehhhhh…no." the ghost replied.

Everyone, barring Edd, Eddy, Rikku, and Auron, had finished their chatter with relatives and friends long gone, and were about ready to , when the spirit of a master ran out of the Farplane. "Lord Jyscal!" came someone's voice.

"Who?" asked Ed.

"Were you hit with Sin's toxin or something?" pondered the ghost next to him. "Jyscal was Maester Seymour's father. Wonder what he's doing out here?"

"Say, do you-"

"No I can'r give you a tub of gravy, no I don't know the process in which a Cyclops blinks its victim to death, and no, I'm not your great great great great uncle. I don't care how much I look like him. I'm not him."

"You are psychic."

"No I'm not, you keep asking that to everyone else, why am I explaining this?!" and the ghost vanished.

"He does not belong here." Auron said, his tone menacing. Jyscal had made it all the way to the entrance to the Farplane, and was stopped by Yuna. "Send him." Yuna nodded, ignoring the looks of terror etched across the Ed's faces.

Yuna began the ritual and Auron knelt down, acting odd. Edd noticed this too, and made a mental note of it. Yuna finished the itual and Jyscal vanished into a mist of colored light. Auron immeadiatley got up afterward as if whatever was bothering him had suddenly vanished. "Let's go."

"Does that happen often? That whole ghost on the loose thing?" Edd asked, worried they might encounter something like that more frequently.

"No it would takea strong emotion to bind a spirit to this plane, something that leaves them with a sense of purpose. Usually those that come back had suffered an unclean death, even if they had been sent." Lulu replied in a relatively monotone voice. Edd shivered thinking about it. Yuna had arrived at the massive double door to Seymour's home, and rushed inside. The group waited in the atrium and an attendant came by. "Do you people have business with Maester Seymour?"

"No, Yuna has some business with the guy though, and she already left to find him."

"Sorry, but he is currently not here. I believe he went to the temple in Macalania. Maester Seymour is also the high priest of that temple." she smiled, then directed her attention to Eddy "And that's Lady Summoner to you." a frown on her face.

"Whoa better go find 'Lady Summoner' Yuna then." Eddy said, raising his hands at the quotation.

In a room, which is unknown currently, Yuna was looking at a picture of Jyscal. "Lord Jyscal, please tell me. What can I do to help?" There was suddenly a loud knocking.

"Yuna, let's go!" came Rikku's voice.

"The world is calling for us!" came Ed's voice.

Yuna stood there for a moment. that was probably the most intelligent and rousing thing she had ever heard Ed say. She smiled briefly at this before stepping out.

"So Seymour went to Macarena." Eddy said ponderously.

"Macalania Temple." Wakka corrected.

"But why would he leave without a message or a word to anyone?"  
"Your guess is as good as mine." Wakka shrugged.

"Well in any case, to Macadamia Temple it is!"

"Macalania Temple"

Thunder Plains. The name is pretty self-explanatory, and the moment the party stepped foot in, a bolt of lightning came down and struck Ed. Rikku shrieked and cringed behind Tidus. "Ed are you alright?!" asked Yuna frantically.

"Of course he is." Eddy replied nonchalantly.

"He was just struck by lightning how can you say that?!" Wakka yelled, eyes wide. "What kind of-"

"I smell barbeque." Ed said stupidly as he got up, smoke rising from his messed up hair.

"See, told ya." Eddy smiled and walked off, leavinga stunned Yuna and Wakka.

" How are we supposed to cross that anyway?" asked Tidus, as another bolt almost hit Eddy, who jumped back with a yelp.

"See the lightning rod towers?" Lulu said. "The lightning is drawn to them...hopefully."

"Well that's reassuring." Edd muttered.

And the group mad a break for the closest tower before a bolt could strike again. Each time was a nwarrow escape, and each time lightingn struck, Rikku would shriek, or Ed would get struck, or both. Near what was probably a lodge, a massive bolt came down, leaving a crater where it hit. "What's so funny Rikku?" asked Ed. Rikku had seemed to lose touch with reality and was giggling hysterically. "Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..."

"She just keeps laughing but she doesn;t say why. Should I?"

"With my blessing." Eddy said.

Ed brought Rikku's fetal forn to his height and "Rikku snap out of it."

**Slap.**

"Rikku snap out of it."

**Slap.**

"Rikku snap out of-"

"I'm better! I'm better already! Sheesh!" that hurt. Lightning struck again, causing Rikku to scream louder that before, and clasping Eddy. "Ack! Get this thing off me! She's squeezing tighter than Ed! Someone help!" Eddy screamed, his face turning an interesting shade of purple. Ed immeaditley began to pry the girl off, not succesfully, but enough to give Eddy air.

Edd was kneading his temples and pouinted to the lodge. "I move we stay there for a while. The screaming and the lightning is starting to grate at my shredded nerves, and I think Ed had his fill of being a human lightbulb." Ed giggled as flecks of electricity played accorss his spiked hair.

"Fine, we rest." Auron conceded exasperatedly. Rikku was almost crying with relief.

Inside the lodge after everyone had checlked in, Rin had suddenly appeared like magic. "Nice to see you again. Welcome to the Rin Travel Agency." he turned to see Rikku, who quickly put a finger to her lips. Rin seemed to understand and looked away. He turned to Edd. "Ah, your weapon has improved since last I saw you. Let me take a look at it." Edd nodded, smiling. He was among hiss own kind, or close to it for now.

"Jeez why'd I get stuck with you?" Eddy asked. The group disbandedand and all retired to their respective rooms, and Edd was currently using his share of wealth from fiend-slaying to upgrade his weapon and getting tips as to how to modify on the fly. Eddy was now alone with Ed, walking down one of the lodge's hallways. "Now what am I going to do? I'm notr tired, and that lightning doesn't look like it'll let up, so what can I do?"

"Have a scam?" Ed asked innocently.

"Ed, sometimes you seem to find your brain. Yes! Let's have a scam!" Eddy laughed and bounded off. The manic high would, last all through the night dealing in various ways to try and scam the local employees out of their gil, and getting beaten senseless most of the time. Eddy eventually stopped trying to scam, his face slighlty bruised, and sllightly richer than when he started. He and Ed we're walking back, when he noticed that Tidus was going into what he remembered was Yuna's room. He grinned an awfully grinch-y grin as he snuck over to Yuna's door to eavesdrop.

"...well... It's nothing, really. I...I just, uh... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have come in. H-Hey! Wasn't that that Jyscal Guado guy?"

"The sphere is his will... It says, "Take care of my son."

"His son...? Seymour?"

That was juicy. What was Yuna doing with Jyscal's will? And for that matter, when would those two get to some action? That's why he came. His thought processs was interuppeted by Wakka clearing his hroat directly next to him.

"What are you doing down there?" he inquired, a frown over his normally happy features.

"Uh...I dropped 100 gil; I was just looking for it here."

Wakka's demeanor instantly shifted to a cheery attitude "Okay." then shifted back to frowning as he barged into Yuna's room. So much for that little reconnaissance mission. Eddy scooted back to his own room to find Ed fast asleep on his bed, and Edd reading an Al Bhed book on his rifle and the various ammunitions he can make for it with everyday items. "Edd, you can read that jibbery-joob?"

"Barely. And I cna;t really speak it yet either, but I'm improving." he smiled. "Where were you?"

"Oh, just going to the bathroom. Yeah, just the bathroom."  
"Why not use ours?" Edd asked, suspicion in his eyes.

"Cause Ed was using it. For you-know."

"If that was true, then just being in this room would be a health hazard. You were eavesdropping on Yuna weren't you?"  
"No I-"

"Well what did you hear?"

"What?"

"I have a few suspicions about what she's doing, but I'd like a little more data to run with, so what was she doing?"

Eddy got over his stunned silence and told Edd the little he could hear from Tidus and Yuna."

"Hmmmm."

"You thought of something?"

"It's still very unlikely, but there is a chance."

"Of what?"

"Nothing. No need to concern yourself. If I truly believe I'm right, I'll be sure to let you know."

Eddy eyed Edd for a moment, before shrugging and went to bed. Before falling asleep, he said "We've been friends since we could talk. There are still things about you I don't know, probably never know. I wonder if that's a good thing." Then the only sound was Ed's loud snoring.

Edd then continued to ponder at the theory he was thinking of. "If Yuna has Jyscals will imploring to 'take care of Seymour, but I could be misunderstanding. But if I'm right, then I'm gonna need all the ammo I can make. Cause If I am right, which I somewhat hope am not, were going to make some powerful enemies." He then set the book aside, opened his pack and began to make solutions for 'special' bullets.

"What time is it?" Eddy groaned, he stretched his limbs and suddenly lightning struck. He jumped up awake. "Oh right." Eddy yawned quickly and made for the bathroom to shower and at least attempt to wash his clothes. Edd was in a corner of the room, putting the finishing touches on his new bullets, his barely open eyes a testament to how long he had been awake. Ed was still sleeping like Ed usually slept, snoring louder than the storm raging outside.

"So everyone is assembled?" asked Auron, one eyebrow raised.

Edd didn't respond. He tried to blink exhaustion back from his eyes, but was losing the fight. "Anyway, if we're all together, then let's head out."

The group barely made it to the next Lightning rod tower when Yuna stopped

"Everyone...wait."

_Will it? _Edd wondered. He stared at Yuna through one eye, resting the other.

"Why? We're making good time."

"Ya what's up?"

"I have something to tell you."

"Can it wait till we're out of here?" Lulu asked.

"I have to say it now!"

_Possibly but..._

"Okay, okay, sheesh." Yuna took deep breath, looking like she was about to choke on something then blurted. "I've decided to marry."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! To who?" Eddy stammered.

"Maester Seymour."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Eddy was dumbstruck, like he never was before, Ed stood there in shock. Edd simply nodded. _I knew it. Unfortunately. What if she's...?_

"B-But why? Why'd you change your mind?" Wakka asked, barely out of his daze.

"For Spira's future...and Yevon's unity. I thought it would be the best thing to do."

Edd scoffed to himself. _And no ulterior motive? We'll see._

"Wait, is it... Is it because of Lord Jyscal?"

"You mean his will" Eddy turned to Tidus.

"Show me." Auron demanded. Yuna shook her head.

"I can't. I must speak to Maester Seymour first. I truly am sorry, but this is... It is a personal matter."

"Just one thing." Auron began.

"I won't quit my pilgrimage." Yuna said

"Then it is...fine." Auron finished after a moment.

"Whoa time out now, you're okay with this?" Eddy stammered.

No, I'm not. As long as she is willing to face Sin...all else is her concern. That is a summoner's privilege. As long as she journeys."

"But that's..." Tidus then grunted and turned away.

Eddy raised his arms in the air in exasperation. "Come on Ed, let's get out of here." and trudged along the path close behind Tidus. Yuna looked at the departing boys sadly.

_Is this what Sockhead was thinking about? _Eddy wondered. _What else is that guy concocting?_

"Wait." Auron said. Much of the traveling had been done in silence, so it gave the Eds a bit of a start.

"What, we going the wrong way?"

Auron didn't reply, but instead turned to a heap of growth and started hacking away branches, opening a path. Tidus silently followed him, followed by the Eds, and everyone else.

"It is here...somewhere."

"What's here?" Tidus asked.

"Something you should see."

Yuna stepped up. "But, Sir Auron..."

"It won't take long."

He revealed a clearing where a body of water that had a strange sparkle to it. "A pond?" Eddy asked.

"No, I think there is much more than that." Edd replied, swaying on his feet.

Auron walked to the edge of the liquid. "This is what spheres are made of. It absorbs and preserves people's memories."

"There's more right?" Edd asked tiredly as a blob-like monster rose and began to form.

"Fiends are also attracted to these places."

"We can see that." Eddy frowned as the Spherimorph engulfed the sphere Auron was going for. "GO!" Eddy charged at the blob, swinging his knives into its body only to have the wounds reform after each slash. Ed's attacks proved barley more effective. "A little help?" Eddy asked desperately.

"A minute!" replied Edd, loading a bullet into his rifle. Yuna had summoned Ifrit, which began to blow fire at the fiend, only to have the Spherimorpgh change color. When it did, Ifrit's attacks were rendered useless, and ended up being unsummoned. Others feared attack, lest they accidently hit the two Ed's jumping around the frame. "Out of the way!" Edd yelled and aimed his rifle and pulled the trigger. The blast was much different. It was louder, brighter, and a white projectile went straight through the center of the fiend. Instead of reforming, the fiend began to melt and evaporate. Eddy stared dumbstruck at Edd. "What the heck was that?!"

"Anti Fiend solution No. 3. There are multiple different solutions and I made a couple of each. Those Al Bhed know what they're doing. ("Humph" came Wakka)"

Tidus walked over to the remains and picked up the sphere.

Click whirrrrrr…

_Auron: What are you taking?_

_Jecht: Well, you said it was gonna be a long trip. We'll be seeing a lot of neat things, right? So I thought I'd record it all in this. To show to my wife and kid, you know._

_Auron: This is no pleasure cruise!_

_Jecht: Hey, Braska. Ain't this supposed to be a grand occasion? Where're the cheering fans? The crying women?_

_Braska: This is it. Too many goodbyes-people think twice about leaving._

_Jecht: Hmm... If you say so. Well, it better be a lot more colorful when we come back. A parade for Braska, vanquisher of Sin!_

_Braska: We should go. Day will break soon._

_The recording phased out and re-phased on a new scene._

_Braska: Auron, could you stand closer to him?_

_Auron stands closer to Jecht._

_Braska: Good. That should do it._

_Jecht: What's the matter? Afraid I might bite?_

_Auron: Jecht..._

_Jecht: Braska! You should take one, too. It'd make a great gift for little Yuna!_

_Braska: I suppose._

_Auron: Lord Braska... We shouldn't be wasting our time like this!_

_Jecht: What's the hurry, man?_

_Auron: Let me tell you what the hurry is!_

_Braska: Auron!_

_The recording stopped._

Click click click whirr click click click…

"What's the point of that? He wasn't on some pleasure cruise."

"There's more." Auron replied.

Click click click

_Jecht: Hey. If you're sitting there, watching this...it means you're stuck in_

_Spira, like me! You might not know when you'll get back home, but you better_

_not be crying! Although, I guess I'd understand. But you know what? There's a_

_time when you have to stop crying and move on. You'll be fine. Remember, you're_

_my son. And... Well, uh... Never mind. I'm no good at these things._

_The recording stops and then plays again._

_Jecht: Anyways...I believe in you. Be good. Goodbye._

_The recording ended._

Click click…

Tidus looked at the sphere, silent for a moment.

"He sounded almost serious, but it was too late."

"He was serious. Jecht had already accepted his fate."

"His fate?"

Eddy felt this was probably a good time to leave, it seemed private, and the two should be left alone…or at least have them believe that, he smirked inwardly as he started ushering everyone else out.

Everyone had made it to lake Macalania, where they found Clasko and a chocobo.

"Would you look at this? They always leave me behind." sighed Clasko. The chocobo started chirping irately. "You want attention huh? I think you got enough from him know how?" Ed was all over the bird. "Pet the chicken, pet the chicken." In fact, he was squeezing it so hard that he was starting to strangle it. "Ed, even chocobos need to breathe."

"Huh? Oh yeah." He let go, but still continued to scratch its head.

"How'd you know it wanted that?" Eddy asked.

"I'm guessing it's just something he's good at." Edd said, his eyes closed, so it looked like he was sleeping standing up.

"Yeah I guess. Y'know, I always thought of myself as a breeder more than a knight. What do you think?"

"Don't go the way based off others judgments, you'll never be happy." Edd spouted sleepily, this time leaning on his rifle.

"Yeah, you know what? I think I just might be a breeder. I got a knack for that it seems." Clasko then pried Ed off the chocobo and rode off, Ed chasing him for about five minutes before the chocobo disappeared in a cloud of dust. Yuna giggled slightly, but her mood instantly changed for the worse as she saw Trommel up ahead.

Trommel was beaming as he saw Yuna. "Lady Yuna, we've been expecting you. We were surprised you decided to come so soon. Pleasantly surprised, of course. Lord Seymour sends his apologies for having left without notice." At this point, Eddy had turned his gaze elsewhere, as if looking at the Guado sickened him.

"It's quite all right. I have one question if I may, sir."

"My lady?"

"I want to keep journeying, even if I marry. Do you think that Maester

Seymour would let me?"

"But of course, my lady. Lord Seymour wishes nothing else, I'm sure."

Yuna turned to Tidus and the others. "Goodbye." She seemed to direct her statement to Tidus more than anyone else.

Trommel continued to smile, oblivious to what was happening. "Well... We must follow Guado tradition. I'll have to ask you to wait here a little longer. I'll send someone to escort you."

_And it starts, which way will it go from here?_ Edd thought.

"Go on Yuna, we're still with you." Edd reassured her, though by this point he seemed ready to fall asleep. He elbowed Tidus "Got anything to say?"

Tidus than ran to Yuna and was saying something to her. He whistled, followed by Yuna. Edd smiled slightly behind drooped eyelids. Then he fell asleep on his rifle, he simply had so strength left.

Suddenly, "Oh no!" came Rikku's voice.

"Al Bhed!" yelled Wakka.

"Get back, we'll deal with this!" grunted Eddy to Trommel. "I got to get rid of some tension anyway."

"Right! Thank you!"

Yuna ran in an opposite direction, which Trommel followed panicking.

Out jumped a familiar looking Al-Bhed. He was leering from the top of a cliff, directly at Rikku.

"Rikku!" he yelled. "Tyh'd ehdanvana un oui kad dric?" (Rikku! Don't interfere or you get this?)

A large Crawler…crawled next to him

"Oain bnaciuic magic and aeons yna caymat!" (Your precious magic and

aeons are sealed!) he continued, this time directed at the others. Rikku gasped.

"I'm guessing he said something bad right?" asked Eddy worriedly.

"He's gonna use an anti-magic field on us!" Rikku responded.

"Thought so." He drew out his knives, and began to twirl them in his hands. Let's do this then. Brother (The Al Bhed on the cliff) yelled "Ked dras!" (Get them!) and the Crawler thundered down the cliff. The group prepared to engage until a thunderous roar signaled Edd's rifle going off. A large electric bolt went flying towards the Crawler, puncturing its hull ,and detonating inside the machine, shorting out systems, and melting others. The Crawler advanced only one more pace before it spluttered and died. Tidus turned to see Edd grinning wolfishly before collapsing, snores emanating from his throat. Brother started fuming, then pointed an accusing finger at Rikku.

"Rikku! I femm damm Vydran!" (Rikku! I will tell Father!)

"E ys dra guardian of Yuna, oui caa? Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!" (I am the guardian of Yuna, you see? Yuna is safe! We will guard her! She is safe!)

"Oui tu drec ymuha, cecdan!" (You do this alone, sister!)

And Brother vanished over the side. Rikku sighed unhappily and turned to see Wakka scowling at her suspiciously. "How come you speak Al Bhed?"

Rikku started playing with her index fingers and looked away from his gaze. "Because I'm Al Bhed. And that...was my brother." Wakka couldn't have looked more shocked and angry then he was then. He turned frustratingly to Tidus. "You knew this?" Tidus nodded "yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked." Eddy replied calmly, placing his knives into their scabbards.

"We knew you'd be upset." Lulu agreed. Wakka threw his arms up. "This is great. I can't believe I've been traveling with an Al Bhed! A heathen!"

"You're wrong! We have nothing against Yevon." Rikku rebutted angrily.

The two started arguing furiously, while Eddy went to check on Edd. He beckoned Ed forward. "Ed, left pocket." He said, and Ed delved into his left pocket, pulling out uneaten, rotten leftovers from Seymour's mansion. He thrust some under Edd's nose. Edd simply stirred. "I thought that would work." He said disappointed, throwing the mush on the ground. "Well Ed, looks like you're carrying him to Mumbo Jumbo Temple."

"Macalania Temple!" Wakka yelled in his direction.

After much arguing, Wakka finally retreated to just sulking, his made even worse when out-voted to use the motor-sleds. Eddy and Ed got one while strapping Edd to the back, letting him sleep a little.

"Say Eddy? I was thinking."

"You know that's dangerous Ed."

"Do you think Edd knew about Yuna getting all mushy loveys with that weird-guy-with-blue-hair."

"She's marrying him, but I don't think she like him. And yeah, Edd was talking about it last night. I just don't know what Yuna's thinking." Eddy was just speaking as the words came to his head.

Ed stared up into the sky, his hands gripping the seat through the cold. "Well, if Double D knew that, then I know Double D has a lot of other stuff planned. He always does."

"Maybe. But I'm not to sure, in fact I doubt it. The situation looks pretty hopeless."

"Eddy, do you like Yuna." Ed asked, fear in his voice.

"No Ed, don't worry, I'm not, but I think this is really going to mess up our chance of getting home sooner." Eddy replied, not even turning to face Ed.

"So this is Macarena temple." Eddy said, "Not too different from all the others, except that I'm freezing my butt off."

"Macalania Temple." Wakka correct sullenly.

"Well, it's cold enough to wake me up, so let's hurry inside. Then Guards stopped them suddenly.Halt! The likes of her are not welcome in this hallowed place." He pointed to Rikku, Edd had thankfully concealed his rifle under the cloak he was using for a jacket, so the guards weren't suspicious of him.

"She's a guardian." Auron retorted in a challenging tone.

"An Al Bhed, a guardian? Preposterous!"

"Well it's true" Edd said under his cloak, his temper short thanks to his sleepiness.

"I've decided to be Yuna's guardian now, and that's all I want."

"And that's all one needs to be a guardian." The guard sneered, then relented. "Very well."

The door opened to reveal a wide-eyed Shelinda (Everyone but the Eds seemed to know her relatively well.)

"Ah! There you are! Maester Seymour and Lady Yuna... I couldn't be happier...even if it was my own wedding. Now, victims of Sin will have something to be joyful about."

"I suppose." Edd said, looking deep in thought.

"You're not happy?" Shelinda looked between Tidus and Edd, who didn't seem to be very happy.

"No it's not that, I'm just thinking rally hard.

"It's complicated. Say... Do you know where Yuna is?"

"I believe...she's gone to the Cloister of Trials with Maester Seymour."

"Lord Jyscal! A sphere, in Lady Yuna's belongings..." came a voice, and with that, Edd rushed off to Yuna's chambers in a quick burst of energy, everyone following suite. Inside the room, Edd held the sphere in his hand. "This may well answer a few questions." Auron said. Edd handed it to Tidus. "I dunno how to turn those things on."

Tidus played the recording from the sphere. Jyscal's voice suddenly fills the chambers. "What I am about to tell you is the unclouded truth. I swear it on my honor as a Guado. Listen to me very carefully, for I shall tell you the truth about my son, Seymour. His mind is closed even to me, a maester of Yevon. But I can feel flames of darkness burning in his heart. He is using Yevon, the Guado, and even the summoners. If he is not stopped, he will surely bring destruction and chaos to Spira. I will leave this world soon, killed by my own son. But I do not fault him. Because I was not wise enough he has suffered, and become twisted. I could not protect him and his mother from the world and its cruelty. I will accept death as punishment for my deeds. But whoever is watching this...I implore you to stop Seymour! Stop my son." Jyscal sounded almost pleading in the end. "As I thought." Whispered Edd, loud enough that only Eddy heard him. _He knew this too?! Is he faking it?_

Auron groaned. "Wonderful."

"Will Yuna be all right?" asked Rikku, worryingly.

"Doubt it." Tidus replied. Auron then left the chambers and proceeded to the Cloister. "Where you goin'?" asked Wakka.

"Where do you think?" Eddy answered with his own question as he and the other Eds followed him.

"Off on another adenture!" cheered Ed. Tidus was next to leave. "You saw, didn't you? Seymour's bad news!"

"But he's a maester! And saw what? It was a voice; how do you see that?"

"Fine! Stay here if you want!" Tidus ran into the Cloister folloed by all but Wakka and Lulu.

"Come on, Wakka. Let's at least hear him out." Lulu said before walking calmly in as well.

"This can't be happening." Wakka groaned miserably before going in as well.

Seymour was waiting patiently outside The Fayth's chambers, he heard the footsteps long before already, and already knew who was coming.

"Seymour!" Tidus yelled angrily.

"Please be silent. Lady Yuna prays to the fayth." He said without even turning.

"Make me." He yelled back. Yuna emerged, seemingly drained. And was surprised to see everyone there.

"But why...?"

"We saw Jyscal's sphere." Eddy said through clenched teeth.

"You killed him." Auron growled.

"What of it? Lady Yuna, certainly you knew of these things, did you not? Well then, why have you come here? To stop me? To kill me?"

"I…Yes!" Yuna shouted

"Again, I was right."

"And if she doesn't, I will!" Eddy yelled.

"Get in line." Tidus said.

"…You came to punish me, then. What a pity. Ah, of course. 'Protect the summoner even at the cost of one's life.' The Code of the Guardian. How admirable. Well, if you're offering your lives, I will have to take them." Seymour smiled, his attitude getting dramatically violent. "If that's how it's gonna be, then we'll just have to kick your sorry butt." Ed said, his claws out and ready to fight, he charged straight for Seymour, who jumped out of the way, and sent a spell in his direction. Ed countered, slashing at his chest, instead grazing his robes. Eddy joined in, managing to get a knife into Seymour's left arm. Seymour frunted in pain as he blasted Eddy away, removing the knife and throwing it at him. This distraction cost hi dearly, as he revieved a dual punch to the face courtesy of Tidus and Ed. He flopped back, and then waved his hand in the air, and summoned his aeon, Anima. "Feel my pain! Come, Anima!"

"That's cheating!" compained Eddy, getting up from across the room.

"Just as planned." Edd said. Before anyone could ask what he meant, he had already loaded his rifle with another one of his special bullets, and fired it at the massive anima. It pounded a whole through half of its face, and he quickly reloaded before Anima finished reeling. Another shot, another chunk evaporated. Another, and another, and another. Anima gave a roar as it disappeared, unable to anchor itself on this plane any longer. Seymour looks stunned for a moment, before reasserting himself, casting another Spell. A Jet of Water spewed out from under Edd's feet, sending him spiraling into the air, and landing on Eddy, who had just finished regaining his posture.

Seymour was to busy conjuring another, spell ready to strike Edd again with it, until he felt a throbbing pain from his stomach. His vision blurred as he looked to he Ed had bowled into him. The spell went wild, blasting Ed away, with an electric shock. When Ed left, Seymour saw deep marks in his abdomen. Ed had stabbed him, and drove his claws deep. Seymour limped up, and turned to Yuna, in a weak voice, he asked "Yuna...you would pity me now?" and fell.

Yuna closed his eyes when the Cloister doors flew open , with Trommel and a swuadron of Guado storming in. Seeing Seymour, Trommel turned immediately from alarm to horror. "Lord Seymour! What happened here?"

"You wouldn't believe us I we told you anyway. Seymour got ticked, attacked us, and we were forced to well…this." Edy said, pushin Edd off of him.

"You did this?" Trommel asked outraged. "Traitors!"

"Now hold on just a minute! Seymour's the bad guy, right? We'll explain to everyone what happened!" Tidus yelled desperately.

"It won't be that easy... Let's get out of here." Auron said, and that was all it needed to send everyone running out of the Cloister as fast as they could.

All would have been explained possibly, but they were surrounded the moment they set foot in the main room of the Temple.

Trommel Walked up to them, his face distorted by rage. "Please..." Yuna pleaded.

"Give us a chance to explain." Auron continued.

"No need, I already know what I'll tell the other maesters."

"Meaning...?"

"That's not a good thing is it?" Ed asked.

"No it really bad."

"You're not letting us go." Tidus said, already knowing the reply.

"Let you go? Lord Seymour would never forgive us if we did."

"Wait, wait! Jyscal's sphere! We can show it to them!" Rikku suggested. Trommel scoffed and held the sphere in his hand. "You mean this?" letting everyone see it before he crushed it. "The Guado take care of Guado affairs." He said gravely and turned as the Guado began to move in.

"Away!" Kimahri yelled, bowling through, and the others followed through the hole he knocked in the Guado line. The Guado gave chase, Ed saw them coming even as they left the temple. "Distraction device is required" he remarked solemnly reaching into his pocket and throwing something at the incoming Guado. Whatever it was, it released a foul cloud of gas that chocked and blinded the chasing Guado. It seemed to be set, as the Guado were nowhere to be seen, but just as Everybody started to slow, Two Guado jumped in from like out of nowhere with a Wendigo.

"Big." Eddy said.

"Big." Ed said.

"Cam prepared." Edd smiled, as he loaded his rifle, and fired. The shot grazed the Wendigo's shoulder, but it drove the fiend into a howling rage, and charged at its assailant. Edd panicked and desperatley tried to load, but received a massive backhanded slap. Edd flew through the air, slamming into a block of ice, and slumping over. Ed and Tidus had already dispatched the two Guado, and turned to see the Wendigo slap Edd. Ed, in a fit of rage, roared just as loudly as the Wendigo, and charged at the fiend. The Wendigo bought its arms up preparing to counter. All sense of self-preservation gone, Ed slammed into the monster, slashing at its ribs, and shooting under its legs before the wendigo could react. He climbed onto its back, retracted his claws, and began to punch its head. The wendigo reached up to grab Ed, but he simply headbutted it, throwing it into a dave, and falling over. Ed then jumped into the air, and slammed his elbow into its back. The wendigo roared, quickly turning into a shriek as Ed got up and delivered a bone-crunching kick between the fiend's legs. Tidus moved to support Ed, but Auron held him back. "He's got this. At this point you might just get hurt getting in his way."

Ed had delivered a punch to the wendigo's stomach, and it doubled over right into Ed's incoming knee, sending it keeling back, bloodied and bruised. Ed gave a final roar, as he baought his claws out again, and delivered an eye-bluring combo of slashes, that evicerated the beast, and the remains evaporated. Ed was still breathing heavily when he turned to see Yuna tending to Edd, giving him a phoenix's feather. Edd blinked his eyes open in shock and surprise. Before he could say anything, Ed zoomed up to him, squeezing him tightly. "Ed, thank you for your concern, but I need oxygen!" Edd managed to say as Eddy pulled the big lug off. The cheerfulness in the air was short-lived however as the ground began to shake, and the party plunged into the abyss.

"Well isn't this new and different." came Eddy's voice. Edd came to and saw a sight that stunned him. "We're under the lake ice, aren't we?" Lulu asked. Her question was directed at Tidus.

"How are we at the bottom of a lake?" Ed asked. "Isn't there like water in a lake?"

"There must be ice protecting us." Edd said, gazing at the marvel around him.

"Who knows." Tidus replied, talking to Lulu.

"Look." She pointed. "That's the bottom of the temple." She pointed at Macalania temple far off.

"What now, I wonder." Auron said aloud.

"Climb?" offered Ed.

Auron looked at him and opened hismout to explain the futility, when Edd interrupted saing. "Don't bother, he'll forget in five minutes anyway."

"No I won't I'll forget in six." Ed argued stoutly. Tidus noticed Wakka staring at the temple sadly. He walked over and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Wakka, would you cheer up? Look, we only did what we had to do."  
He turned to Tidus, frustration on his face.

"It doesn't matter! Don't you see?("See what?" asked Ed) I've always walked the path of Yevon...but now, I'm a traitor. How could this happen? Damn." He turned away and sulked off, punching a large piece of debris Ed was sitting on.

"Looks like Yuna's awake." Eddy said to Edd, trying to snap him back into rality.

"Yeah."

"You wanna go see her?"

"I'm sure she's alright."

"So…how did you know all that anyway?"

"All of what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"I just read the signs and subtleties and pieced together what I thought was right, and prepared for the worst. It's something you never were good at."

"What do mean by that?"

"I'm the brains of us three. I think of the plans, you put them into action. You simply don't have experience in this sort of thing that's all."

"And I'm Ed."

"Yes Ed." Eddy ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "How much longer do you think we have to stay here then?"

"I think we would need to figure out how to get out first."

"I mean this world. How much longer do you think that little brat is going to keep us here?"

"I don't know. Even I have my limits. All I know is that these people need out help, and until we help then, we're stuck here."

"And then?"

"Then we move on. Hopefully next stop will be home."

The Eds then sat in slience while the others debated. "Anyone else hear that or am I going crazy already?" Eddy asked. Tidus stopped and listened. He realized there was chanting. "That is Yevon's gift. It soothes the hearts of the faithful." Yuna said, making the prayer.

"Jecht used to sing this song..." Auron said.

"Huh. I'm getting a weird mental image now." Eddy said, imagining Jecht, his hands in prayer singing at the top of his deep grating voice. Eddy shivered. "Now I can't get it out of my head."

Suddenly the singing seemed to stop. Followed by shaking. "There's something here!" Wakka shouted.

"What water?" Ed asked, as if totally oblivious to the shaking.

"The ground!" Auron said.

Right next to their little pocket of ice, was Sin.

"Sin!?"

"The toxin! Watch out!" Lulu warned.

"To late." Eddy said as the world started to spin around him and fade to nothing.

**That's the end of that one. At this rate, I think I'll be through in maybe two or three more chapters. Good cause I'm running out of titles and I still got FFVII and a few others to go through.**


End file.
